The Sight
by SylphWindDancer
Summary: When Kratos and Yuan happen across a group of orphans and bring them to Mithos, what will happen to them as they experience growing up on Derris-Kharlan? With their aid, Kratos just might succeed in bringing the Chosen Colette to Yggdrasill for Martel's vessel...that is, until Yuan recruits them to join the Renegades, which opens a whole new gateway of adventures for them.
1. The Gathering

**Hello, everyone! First off, this is a rewrite of my first story that was called **_**Past Times**_**...which was one of my first ever fanfictions. Spare yourself the pain of reading it. When this one hits the road, I am going to retire **_**Past Times**_** from fanfiction dot net. Anyways, you all know the drill! I own nothing of Tales of Symphonia - just my own original characters, which I'm sure you'll all be able to pick out. I hope you enjoy!**

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_**The Sight**_

_A __**Tales of Symphonia**__ Story_

_**Prologue_The Gathering**_

A young girl with flaming red hair that reached to her lower back set her deep grey eyes with determination. She was no older than six, but with the accompaniment of her three close friends that were in the same situation as her, she would perform a robbery by these travelers. They were deep in the Iselia forest, fighting for survival as they always were. This young red head was called Scarlett. One of her friends, Faye, had pine green eyes and messy, short black hair that she tried keeping tied up with a piece of ribbon she had found once. Another was Sheldon, a young boy with light brown hair and darker brown eyes, his face set with decision. The last was Celeste, who had longer brown hair and usually gentle auburn colored eyes, but today, she had gone as long as she could without eating. This quartet was a group of orphans.

The two travelers they were planning on robbing were two men, both seeming to be in their mid-thirties at the latest. One had spiked auburn hair and brown eyes that seemed to be…distracted by something else. Something that he couldn't see. The other had long blue hair that was flipped over his right eye and tied back in a ponytail, not quite covering his cerulean blue eyes. He seemed to be concerned for his companion as well as sympathetic. Occasionally, he glanced around them, and the four would freeze stiff, because they always thought it was because of them making noise. When darkness fell on the forest, the two men stopped and built a fire to fend off monsters and the cold. The orphans got ready. The men were bound to soon sleep.

The four were set in different spots surrounding the men in the dark, and their eyes were all set on the same prize: their packs, which would contain food. They weren't stupid enough, even at young ages, to try and steal their packs while they were still awake. From watching them, the children had discovered they were very polished fighters. Their best bet was to wait until they went to sleep.

Hours passed, the stars moved overhead, and the men never fell asleep. Scarlett put her small hand in a fist and felt the painful ache in her stomach. She couldn't wait any longer for them to rest! Besides, what kind of men would kill a child? A starved, filthy little orphan? Most people left them alone because they figured the children would die soon enough. She braced herself, preparing to run and grab the packs. One, at least. Her eyes wandered, and she spotted Sheldon across the clearing, shaking his head, his eyes wide with fear.

_What can I do? We're all so hungry… We can't wait any longer!_ With this thought in mind, Scarlett took a deep breath and shot out of her hiding spot. She ran straight for the men, who instantly saw her. Scarlett was too focused on the packs to even notice that from the looks on their faces, they were in no meaning of the word surprised. The one with blue hair reached out and scooped the girl up as he stood at the same time. She squealed with shock and thrashed around. "No, no! Let me go!"

A look of amusement crossed the blue haired man's face as he listened to the child's pleas. He turned to the auburn headed man, who said, "We know you've been following us. We also know that there are more of you." Raising his voice a little, he added, "You might as well come out."

The remaining children glanced at each other with panic, unsure of what to do. Scarlett still squirmed against the blue haired man until he sighed lightly and said, "We aren't going to hurt you."

With that assurance, the children all emerged from their hiding places, slowly walking into the light of the fire. The man holding Scarlett set her down gently, and she shuffled away from him a few paces, her eyes watching him carefully. The two men looked at these children with pity – they were all so filthy and wore hardly any clothes, if they could be called that. They were mostly just rags. "Listen, now…," said the man with blue hair softly, "like I said, we aren't going to hurt you. We are just wondering what you all are doing here in this forest at night and what you were planning on doing."

Celeste whimpered quietly and twiddled her thumbs. "We're really sorry, misters… We were just…hungry…"

The men shared a glance before the auburn headed man spoke up. "I am sorry, you four… We have no food on us."

"None?" Faye's face dropped with pure disappointment and realization at how hungry she really was.

"Tell you what. Tell us your names, we'll tell you ours, and we'll figure out a way to get you food first thing in the morning. Sound good?" The blue haired man looked about at all of them, and they all nodded excitedly.

"I'm Faye!"

"…Sheldon."

"And I'm Celeste!"

Scarlett remained quieter at first, her fiery gaze still upon the man who had picked her up. "…I'm Scarlett."

She could see the smirk form on his lips. _So young and she's already so proud. Heh. Don't see much of that these days… _"I'm Yuan, and this is Kratos. Could you tell me where your parents are?"

Silence fell heavily in the air as all the kids turned their eyes to the ground. It was Sheldon that whispered, "They're all dead. Desians…they…"

"It's okay." Yuan shook his head. "We understand."

"Come closer to the fire, get warm, and get some sleep. We will get you all your food, I promise," Kratos assured them, gesturing for them to come rest.

Rest, they found. They curled up near the fire and closed their eyes, quickly drifting off into sleep. There was no telling what time it was; they had waited so long for Kratos and Yuan to fall asleep. When the two were certain the children were all asleep, Kratos turned to his half-elf friend, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "Would you like to go hunting? I will…stay here and watch them."

Yuan saw the look of grief and longing in Kratos' eyes. He knew instantly he was thinking of his deceased wife and lost son and all of the time with them that was stolen away in an instant. Without another word, he nodded in agreement and set off into the forest, his weapon at the ready. Perhaps he could snag a few animals to cook and have ready for the young ones by time morning arrived.

**XxXxXxX**

When Scarlett rose, she could smell something divine in the air. Food that was cooking over the fire, and when she opened her eyes, she saw that there was plenty of it. She nearly began drooling and sat up, her limbs practically shaking from both how hungry she was and also how close she was to stuffing her face for the first time in a long time. She saw Yuan tending to the food, his eyes turning to look at her once he saw she had risen. He could see the craving in her eyes and cracked the tiniest hint of a smile. "How about you wake the others, and you'll all eat together?"

Scarlett beamed, forgetting that this man had so easily stopped her plan just hours ago to try and steal some food…even if they didn't really have any. One by one, she went around to her friends and shook them, only barely pausing to glance at Kratos, who was leaning against a tree, his eyes closed. Perhaps he was sleeping now? Scarlett ignored him for the moment. All that really mattered was getting some food in her stomach!

With all four now awake and ravenous, Yuan gave each of them small portions of the meat to start with. Once they wolfed it down without hardly even chewing, he had them wait a moment or two to allow the food to go down. He knew that if they ate too quickly, they would get sick. Progressively, he gave them more and more until at last, they could eat no longer. They all sat back, hands on stomachs, sighing with relief and gratefulness. As they digested, Yuan moved away to stand by Kratos.

"…What are you thinking?"

"Maybe there is a way we could help them…," Kratos mumbled, almost as if he were talking to himself instead of answering Yuan's question.

"Kratos…" Yuan sighed long and hard, never sure how to handle these situations. Yes, he had lost the one he loved and cherished so long ago, so he had an idea of how Kratos was feeling, but not entirely. He knew that if he pushed Kratos too much, he would snap for sure. "I know you want to help these kids, but what can we do? Practically everyone we knew here on these lands are dead, save for the elves, and they would never take human children into Heimdall."

"Perhaps… Perhaps these children could…show something to Mithos."

"There's always Meltokio, but they probably wouldn't be much better off-… Sorry, what did you just say?" Yuan's eyes narrowed with disbelief. "…Did you really just say that? Mithos is too far gone, Kratos. How long has it been since he has been entirely sane? Bringing these children to Derris-Kharlan is not a good idea by any stretch of the imagination!"

"Mithos needs to be reminded of what is pure…and that might just be enough to bring him towards the light again." Kratos set his jaw and took a deep breath. "I know by myself that I can't get any further than the entrance to Welgaia. If you are with me, Yuan, he may just give this a chance."

"But-… You-… He-…" Yuan could find no words to say. He gave a light growl in his sigh and rubbed the bridge of his nose with both irritation and defeat. He peeked open an eye and looked at the children, all smiling now that their stomachs were full of food, their eyes wide and…not entirely innocent, since they had already seen the ugly side of life, but they were filled with pure intentions. They only wanted to live. Was that so bad, since they were so young? No matter how crazy Mithos was, he wouldn't kill these children, that Yuan was certain of. "…Fine. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I will help you."

Kratos' gaze softened ever so slightly. "Thank you, my friend."

"Yes, yes, you owe me big time for this one." Yuan pointed an accusing finger at his comrade. "I don't know what yet, but you will pay me back!"

"As you wish." Kratos stood and brushed by Yuan and on towards the four kids, who were all now aware of his approach and were watching him intently. He looked at them all, with their curious looks, and knelt before them. "How would you four like to have a home?"

**XxXxXxX**

"_Humans_? Human _children_? …_Here_?! On Derris-Kharlan?!" Mithos Yggdrasill barked a laugh that mocked the words that had left Kratos and Yuan's mouths. "Why in the world would I let them stay here?! Besides, look at them! They're such _filthy_ creatures…"

Scarlett and Celeste yelped together and hid behind the legs of Kratos while Faye clung tightly to Yuan's cape, all three of the girls fearful of this seemingly young man with blonde hair and ferocious blue eyes. Sheldon was the only one who stood his ground against this young man. With his small fists on his hips, he stared straight up at Mithos, his eyes looking firmly at him. "That's not very nice, mister! We might not have been able to wash lately, but you don't need to go calling us names! –Or yelling at us!"

A heavy silence fell, causing tension so thick that one could have cut through it with a sword. Kratos and Yuan all but held their breath, waiting to see what Mithos' reaction would be, but were also ready to defend Sheldon should Mithos try anything funny. Instead of behaving violently, Mithos shifted his gaze to his two Seraphim and merely said, "I will be involved in training that they will be given. I will _not_ take care of _any_ of them. They will _not_ disturb me."

He spun around on his heels and was gone quickly. Kratos and Yuan released their breaths while the girls emerged from their hiding spots. Celeste looked up at them with a beaming expression on her face. "Does this mean we get to stay?"

"That it does," Yuan assured her, a ghost of a grin gracing his lips. There was no way that he thought Mithos would have agreed. As he shared a quick glance with Kratos, he knew instantly what his closest friend was thinking. Mithos must have some ulterior plan…and that meant that they would have to be on their guard all the time to protect the children.

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**That brings us to the ending of the prologue! I hope you all enjoyed and if you have read the first story before, I reallllly hope you can see the drastic improvements. Please drop a review on your way out and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	2. The Mission

**Hello again, everyone! Here we are with the beginning of the main story now! Keep in mind, I don't stay directly with the game - meaning I really just changed some dialogue around and only shifted some minor things. Nothing too bad. But I would like to give a shout out to those who reviewed the prologue:**

Marina Ka-Fai

**Thanks! You are now my most favorite person in the ToS world! By you reviewing, I figured it would be okay to keep going on with this rewrite. So, with that, disclaimer!**

**ToS is not mine. Never has been, never will be. My OCs are the only things that are of my creation because NAMCO and BANDAI are far beyond my reach.**

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_**Chapter One_The Mission**_

Scarlett released the heaviest sigh of the day as she leaned over the railings of the castle in Derris-Kharlan, her long red hair tossed over her right shoulder, trailing down her side until it hit her waist. Her eyes were looking at the dull sky longingly as she muttered, partially sarcastically, "It's never happened before, but a breeze here would be nice every once in a while…"

A breeze on Derris-Kharlan? She might as well have asked Lord Yggdrasill to stop trying to resurrect his dead sister. For fifteen long years, Derris-Kharlan and Welgaia had been Scarlett's home alongside Celeste, Faye, and Sheldon and under the guidance of Kratos and Yuan. All had been trained harshly, given Cruxis Crystals, had been turned into angels…yet the only two that remained were Scarlett and Celeste. She glanced down at the sky blue crystal on the back of her left hand, and her eyes seemed to glaze over as her memories flooded through her mind.

"**What, you thought you could just do as you pleased?! Who do you think **_**owns**_** you?!"**

"**No, please, I'm sorry, Lord Yggdrasill!"**

"**Oh, no, you're not…not yet… Oh, Scarlett, dear? Come here… I think you'll want to watch this."**

"_**Faye!"**_

"**Scarlett-!"**

"Lady Scarlett?"

She took a sharp inhale as she snapped out of her flood of memories and looked at the soulless angel that had just flown up behind her. Giving it no indication she had wanted to hear what this doll had to say, he said, "Lord Yggdrasill summons you immediately."

"…I understand. I will go there right away. Thank you." Scarlett leaned away from the railing and turned, just in time to see the angel flying away, no real destination in mind, even if he could have really thought. She hated the angels. She hated seeing them like this when they were once regular people, now turned into soulless puppets by Lord Yggdrasill. With yet another quick sigh, Scarlett began to walk towards where she knew she would find the leader who had summoned her – the chamber of Martel, where she lay sleeping for eternity, only kept alive by a Cruxis Crystal.

Coming nearer to the door, she raised a hand to knock, but a voice inside already spoke, "Come in."

Scarlett opened the door, quickly shut it behind her, and walked into the room. Lord Yggdrasill stood in the center, his menacing eyes watching her carefully. When she was several feet away, she took a knee, bowing her head low. "My Lord, I came as quickly as I could."

"Indeed? And that was as fast as could you manage? Leave it to humans to be the slowest creatures in existence, even after I so generously turn you into an angel. Oh well, no matter." Yggdrasill turned his gaze towards Kratos, who was standing off to the side of the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, no emotion in his eyes. "I have an important mission for you. Rise."

"A mission, My Lord?" Scarlett did as she was told and stood on her feet again, her head raised, though she still found it difficult to look him in the eyes. However, in her peripheral vision, she saw that Kratos had tossed her a quick glance. Already, she could tell this mission would not be an easy one.

"Yes. It is for the Chosen of Sylvarant." A sneer crept onto Yggdrasill's features, reaching to his eyes. "I am going to send Kratos to the land to join with her little group and ensure that she reaches the Tower of Salvation. This Chosen is particularly promising, thanks to her mana levels being extremely high – even more so than Tethe'alla's Chosen."

Scarlett could cringe at the mention of Tethe'alla's Chosen, Zelos Wilder. The only reason she knew him was because he was actually working with Cruxis, though no one who knew him knew that fact. She had met him a few times, and each time, he attempted at making a move on her and would result in him getting hurt. Still, Scarlett knew better than to betray any sign of emotion while she was in Lord Yggdrasill's presence. The last thing she felt like today was "being taught a lesson". She continued listening intently to him.

"However, to prevent any suspicion, I will have you be merely his backup. You will not ever really remain with her group. You will be more of a passerby that will aid in their quest on occasion, and you will remain here on Derris-Kharlan until I tell you that it is time to go, is that understood?" Yggdrasill narrowed his eyes down at Scarlett, awaiting her answer.

"I understand, My Lord. It will be done, and Lady Martel shall return to you." Scarlett gave another low bow, keeping her voice calm and collected.

"Excellent," he practically purred. "You may just finally turn out to be useful, Scarlett. You may leave."

Scarlett wasted no time in leaving the room. She locked eyes with Kratos for one quick moment before exiting, and she could tell he was not entirely bothered by this mission of Yggdrasill's, but she could see that something was different. Perhaps they would talk about it later, before he left. Once the door was shut securely behind her, Scarlett breathed a quiet breath of relief and set off. She would head to the rooms. Maybe she might run into Celeste or Yuan along the way to talk to. It had been a little while since she'd had any alone time with either of them.

Much had changed since all those years ago when she and her three best friends arrived on Derris-Kharlan, especially with her. For whatever reason, Yggdrasill had developed a particular interest in her, though he never gave any leeway on why that may be. Scarlett had her suspicions, but she was never dumb enough to bring it up into light. During all of this time, she had gotten to know both Kratos and Yuan rather well, but they still had plenty of secrets that they would never share with the children. While Kratos had watched over the four of them like a father, Yuan seemed to not be there as much, yet he was always keeping a watchful eye. Scarlett found both of them to be very wise in giving advice, but both had their specialty areas. She also felt more at ease when discussing things with Yuan. While he sat as still and silent as a statue, his presence wasn't as intimidating at Kratos' had somehow always been to her. She knew that he was no one for her to be afraid of, but there was just something about the auburn headed man that set her on edge.

Finally arriving at the hallway that contained the separate bedrooms, Scarlett listened for any activity going on. Faye and Sheldon's rooms were empty, as always… Celeste's room was also rather still. It was late, too, so perhaps she was resting. Shrugging her shoulders to herself, Scarlett opened the door to her room. She was about to close it when a hand pressed against it, stopping its progress. Scarlett looked quickly to see who it was and found it to be none other than Yuan, his eyebrow raised at her. "It appears as though you want to talk."

Scarlett cracked a small smile. "You always know, don't you?" Stepping away from the doorway, she gave a gesture to the half-elf. "Would you like to come in?"

"…I suppose." Yuan accepted her invitation and entered her room, making his way for his usual spot, which was her desk chair. He spun it around and waited for her to be seated at the foot of her bed, where she always sat. The two had their own quirky routines when it came to either taking care of business or just having talks. Yuan leaned back in the chair, seeming like he was going to be prepared for a long chat. "So what's on your mind?"

"Well… Lord Yggdrasill just gave me a mission, along with Kratos."

This single sentence caught Yuan's attention instantly. His eyes widened just a little and he sat very still, almost seeming like he was holding his breath. "Is that so? What mission?"

"I am to go help Kratos…in a way, to bring the Chosen of Sylvarant here. I won't be _with_ them, but I will be around, in the shadows..." Scarlett's gaze shifted down towards the wooden floor.

"…But you aren't sure about this."

"N-no, it isn't that…! I'm more than happy to help Lord Yggdrasill with his goal! After all, he agreed to take us in and gave us shelter…food…and whatnot…," she trailed off, seemingly running out of reasons to give. "I can understand his desire to bring back a loved one… If I could bring back Faye, Sheldon…my parents, I would in a second."

Yuan's eyes flashed with a quick memory, and his thumb rubbed along the bottom of his left ring finger. He knew. He knew better than anyone why Mithos-…why Yggdrasill wanted to bring Martel back. Yuan wanted her back probably more than even her own brother did. Still, Yuan could understand that Martel's life had ended and that she would never really come back. Even if she did, she wouldn't be happy to learn of how many lives had so far been sacrificed for her or that she had been made into a goddess figure. He knew that Scarlett may still have to learn that for herself. She was still very young, after all. "I understand how you feel on that subject…but it is better to leave the dead in peace."

Scarlett frowned with confusion. "I thought Martel was technically still alive? Like how Faye is with me." Her eyes glanced at her Cruxis Crystal, which glimmered in the light. "That's what Lord Yggdrasill says."

Yuan's eyebrow twitched. Of course Yggdrasill had beaten these sorts of things into the children. He had done so since they arrived. They were completely unaware as to the evil nature of the process of reviving Martel…even though they already knew the evil nature of Yggdrasill himself, especially Scarlett. She had gone through so much, yet still managed to hide her fears and worries from the others. Yuan had learned to see the little things, though; those tiny signals that she gave off when something bothered her. "Well… How about this mission? Did he tell you anything else?"

"Not really. I have to wait here until he tells me to go. Kratos is leaving a lot sooner." Scarlett scooted back on her bed a little bit to give herself room to pull her knees up to her chest. "I don't want to lie, but…I'm kind of scared about this. What if I mess up?"

Yuan gave a soft chuckle. Scarlett often doubted herself, but even more rarely revealed it to anyone, even himself. "Don't you know how far you've come in all these years? Have some faith in yourself and you'll do just fine. Besides, Kratos will be there, and…he won't let anything happen to you."

She paused, absorbing his words, but also questioning why he had hesitated before finishing what he was going to say. Figuring that it was nothing too important, she brushed it off and gave Yuan a small smile. "I guess you're right." She looked to the side of her bed, which was where her weapon lay against the wall – a scythe of great size that was named Koikage, which Yggdrasill gave to it. He had Scarlett do the more dirty missions than the others her age. He had seen the spunk in her as a child, as well as her pride and had put it to good use. He had trained her more harshly and more often than her friends and even taught her magic once she gained her Cruxis Crystal. Within the past two years, Yggdrasill had even gone so far as to call Scarlett his own personal shinigami. Looking back at Yuan and pushing those thoughts away, she added, "I'll have Koikage, too. Even though there is a lot of blood on it, it hasn't let me come to harm yet."

Yuan nodded as he stood from his seat. "That's one way to look at it. Now that you've got that in your mind, I believe I will go and have some words with Kratos before going to my room for the evening. Anything else?"

"Mmm… No, I don't think so."

"Okay, then." Yuan reached a hand to Scarlett's head and rubbed it a little, as though she were still just a little kid.

She protested loudly and pushed his hand away, bringing forth a grin as he left her room. She watched the door close and grumbled lightly to herself, "Does he really have to keep doing that? I'm not a little kid anymore…!"

Laying back in her bed, Scarlett kicked off her black boots and moved high enough so that her head could lay rightfully on her pillow. Deciding it wasn't comfortable enough, she sat up for another moment and tugged at the ribbon that held her hair up, letting it fall around her, her bangs sweeping over her eyes. As she lay back down, she looked back at Koikage, which seemed to be like a looming shadow. Taking a deep inhale, Scarlett's eyes flashed to a solid white color while her body then went limp.

**XxXxXxX ****Vision**** XxXxXxX**

**A young dwarf man was running, obviously out of breath, holding a hammer tight in his hand, occasionally glanced over his shoulder to see if he was still being followed. Scarlett was close in pursuit, her legs pushing her as fast as she could run, catching up to the dwarf. While he was in a state of panic, he couldn't see that he was running himself into a corner of the canyon with nowhere else to turn. Scarlett brandished Koikage in her hands, her hair flying out behind her, determination set in her eyes. Yggdrasill had given her the first mission she had ever received, and she needed to follow through with it, no matter what! She didn't even want to think about the consequences if she failed…**

**Finally, after running for several minutes, the dwarf man ran into a dead end. The shadow of the cliff above him hovered ominously before him. Off to his right was a steep drop into the rushing river hundreds of yards below. His left was blocked by the cliff side. The running footsteps behind him came to a halt, which urged him to turn and look into his doom. He backed up slowly, growling in his throat. "Now listen here… What have I ever done to ya?!"**

**Scarlett furrowed her brows, trying to stay focused and not listen to the desperation hidden in his voice. Koikage began to feel so much heavier in her hands and she took a few steps closer to him. "You have betrayed Lord Yggdrasill and left Cruxis, refusing to work for him anymore. Betrayal must be punished…"**

"**So they send a kid like yerself to come and kill me?" A dry bark of laughter came from the dwarf's throat. "How the mighty have fallen. Listen, little missy…I don't think ya want to do this. How about ya just turn around and we'll both say this never happened?"**

**Scarlett raised Koikage over her head, readying it for an attack. A knot so big formed in her throat that she couldn't even swallow it. "No, I can't! Don't you understand?! You know what he's like… If I go back now…I'll be killed!"**

"**Even Yggdrasill wouldn't kill a little kid-"**

"**You're wrong!" she screamed, grief tearing through to her words. Her body began shaking violently as hot tears rushed down her cheeks. Another step closer she went. "You're wrong…! I can't… I don't want to, but… I won't let him kill me yet!"**

**From the shock of hearing Scarlett's cries, the dwarf had dropped his hammer from his hand. He backed up another step before realizing that his weapon was now out of reach and too close to his assassin for him to make a break for it. Her scythe was too large, too long, and she was more likely quicker than he was. His back hit the cliff wall. "N-now, c'mon now… Let's not, okay-?"**

**With a strangled yell, Scarlett leapt into the air and brought her scythe down upon the dwarf's body. He instantly fell to the ground, groaning in deep pain, clutching his chest, where the weapon had faithfully struck. As her feet touched the ground, she whispered, "I'm… I'm so sorry… Please…forgive me…"**

**The dwarf tried to speak again, but his words failed him as his breath rushed from his body. Scarlett turned with horror, her eyes wide and tearing. The longer she looked at his bloodied body, the more she felt the evil of what she had done. She fell to her knees, Koikage clattering to the ground beside her. Her hands raised to her face, then slid up into her hair on the side of her head. Clutching tightly at her hair, she wailed so loud that it sounded like she was screaming all over again.**

**XxXxXxX**

Scarlett came to, her eyes regaining their color. She breathed deeply, feeling shaky, as she always did when she woke from a vision. The first thing she saw clearly was Koikage. She frowned deeply and muttered darkly, "…Why would I be shown that again? That's one of the last things I need to remember…"

Sitting up, she wondered how long she'd been out of it. It didn't feel like it was that long, but then again, there was no real way to tell time on Derris-Kharlan. She swung her feet over the side of her bed and walked over to her desk, where Yuan had been earlier. She sat down and opened a drawer, pulling forth a notebook. In her left hand, she picked up a pencil and flipped the book open to the first empty page, which was more than halfway through. With a sigh, she began to write down what she had seen, at what time she thought it was, and on what day.

When she finished, she closed the book and leaned back in her chair. _Well…I suppose there's nothing more to do than to wait until it's my turn to join this little charade…_

**XxXxXxX**

**And that brings us to the end of chapter uno! I hope you all liked it! Let's have a little review party downstairs, huh? Haha, see you all at the next chapter!**


	3. Descend

**Welcome back, everyone! Here we have the lovely second chapter...I own nothing, blah blah blah... Reviews! Reviewers are lovely and amazing! Meaning, momentarily, **Marina Ka-Fai**!**

**Thank you all once again for sticking with me and letting me know what you thought of my writing! I hope this chapter is satisfying for everyone!**

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_**Chapter Two_Descend**_

A knock came early in the morning on Scarlett's door, bringing her out of her thoughts. She walked over to her door and opened it, only to see it was none other than Celeste, a forced smile on her face. "Good morning, Scarlett."

"Good morning… Is something wrong?" Scarlett looked up and down the long hallway, wondering if someone was nearby. She thought she had heard something other than her close friend.

"Well, not really… I ran into Kratos last night and he told me about the mission and everything…and he is heading out this morning." Celeste ran a hand through her hair, chuckling weakly. "I just don't have a good feeling about this, but I suppose since Lord Yggdrasill is so certain about this Chosen, it's okay…"

"I see…" Scarlett smiled and tapped Celeste's shoulder. "How about we go see him this morning before he leaves?"

"Sure." Celeste took a step away from the door. "I guess I'll go get dressed, then. Meet you down there?"

"Sounds good." Scarlett closed her door and went to her closet. She brought out her usual uniform that she wore around Derris-Kharlan. It consisted of a white shirt with red sleeves that reached to her elbows and flared out loosely, red embroidery trailing along the seams, accented with a hint of gold, a black belt secured around her stomach. It hung over her loose black pants that were tucked into her black boots that only went to her ankles. Two other belts were on her pants; one on her right thigh and one just above her left knee. She quickly threw her hair up into a ponytail and grabbed Koikage before heading out of her room. She learned that she always needed to be ready with her weapon, just in case. One never knew when Pronyma would show up for a "lesson".

Exiting her room, she began to walk down the hallway when she heard another door open and close. She saw that it was Celeste, now leaving her room, her sword attached to her hip. She wore a black dress with straps that covered her shoulders and went down to her mid-thighs. Under those, she had dark brown leggings and a pair of brown boots of an equal shade. She ran to catch up with Scarlett and fell in step with her. "Well, even though I have a bad feeling, I'm excited for you. Are you nervous or anything?"

"Not too much," was Scarlett's reply. "I'm just kind of curious on why Lord Yggdrasill would send me instead of you. You're a lot better at…acting, and I don't mean that in a bad way. You can infiltrate facilities, get all sorts of information without even batting an eye. Me, I'm just…"

"…Blunt?" Celeste offered with a small laugh. Scarlett gave her a pouty look, but laughed as well. "I'm sorry! You know it's true, though! You're so headstrong, stubborn…_fiery_."

"Just because my hair is _red_…"

"Not only that, but it does answer a lot of questions." Celeste nudged her with her elbow. "There are your wings, too. No one's ever seen any like yours before."

Scarlett's gaze dropped as she took a few slower steps, recalling the incident which granted her wings. She had never told Celeste about it because she didn't want to disturb her. After all, it wasn't a pleasant experience. Celeste noticed that she had said something wrong and fell silent, not wanting to upset her friend more. Even though she didn't act like it, Scarlett was a very fragile individual, and Celeste knew it very well, probably more than anyone.

They walked through Derris-Kharlan with ease, knowing their way around like the back of their hands, and even shortcuts from exploring as children. They passed only by the usual crowd of the angels as they flew about aimlessly, no point in their daily lives anymore. When they came to the warp pad that would take them to Welgaia, they quickly moved on to the Tower of Salvation. Hurrying down the uncountable flights of stairs, they spotted Kratos right at the exit. Hearing the two coming, he stopped and turned, a slightly puzzled look on his face. They noticed right away that he had changed out of his Cruxis clothes and into different ones. "…Why are you two here? Yggdrasill will be cross if he knows you're here."

"We just wanted to come see you off. Is that so bad?" Celeste gave him a quick smile. "After all, it won't be for a long while that we-…at least, that I see you again."

"I suppose you have a point." Kratos reached a hand out and ruffled Celeste's hair, much like how Yuan had done to Scarlett before. "Take care. I'll see you soon enough, okay?"

"You, as well!"

Scarlett could feel the weight of Kratos' gaze as it landed upon her, but she couldn't help but feel that it was softer than what it used to be. He walked closer to her until he was standing right before her. When he spoke, it was in a low tone, "When you come, you need to keep your head about you. This will not be an easy experience for you."

"For me?" Scarlett's tone betrayed that she took the comment personally. "I'm sorry I'm not four thousand years old, but-!"

"That isn't what I mean," he interrupted calmly. "I saw you when you returned from your first mission. I know what you tried to do that night. I know every time you kill, it tears you apart." Scarlett averted his eyes, cursing her weak nature. She hated at times that he could practically read her like an open book, but at the same time, it gave her a sort of reassurance. "Even watching from afar, this journey will be filled with peril, blood, and death. I need to know that you can handle it without me having to worry about you every minute."

"I can take it." Her grey eyes hardened with determination as she looked back at him. "Don't worry. I won't let you down."

A small smirk could be seen upon Kratos' lips as he turned and began to walk away silently. After all, there was no telling what could happen if he was late for the receiving of the Oracle. Once Kratos was gone from sight, Celeste placed a gentle hand on Scarlett's shoulder. "Come on. We'd better get back."

"Yeah, okay."

**XxXxXxX**

"A different mission?" Scarlett echoed with confusion before Lord Yggdrasill.

"For the time being, yes. I want you and Yuan to go and investigate the Renegades out in the Triet Desert. Perhaps we can momentarily stop their meddling, since I know they will find a way to become involved with the Chosen." Yggdrasill peered over his shoulder, his cold, heartless blue eyes on her. "See if you can locate the leader. If you do…bring him to me first. However, if you kill him, it is of no consequence to me. Understood?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"Excellent. Go forth then, my little shinigami."

"As you wish, My Lord." Scarlett bowed and left the room, always feeling that rush of relief that she had left the room not only alive, but unscathed. With a silent release of her breath, she felt a chill go up her spine. Turning her head rapidly, she saw Yuan standing off to the side, his arms crossed. "Were you listening?"

"He already spoke to me about this. Are you ready to go?"

Scarlett could have flinched from the icy edge in Yuan's voice. From the sound of it, it appeared like they spoke of more than just this mission. There was no reason why going to the Renegade base would upset him this much. With a nod, Scarlett said, "Yes. I'm ready."

"Shall we be off, then?" Not waiting for a response, Yuan began to walk, heading for the exit of Derris-Kharlan, much like how Scarlett and Celeste had just done that very morning. Scarlett pondered for a moment on if she should go and tell Celeste a quick goodbye. Following after Yuan, she thought, _I'm sure this mission won't take long at all. I'll be able to see her again before I go off with the Chosen's group._

At the exit of the Tower of Salvation, Yuan pulled forth his violet wings as Scarlett called on her own red wings. They always emitted a sort of warmth, what with the flames that burned along on the feathers. Yuan eyed them curiously, not having seen her unique wings too many times, but he remained silent on the matter. He had been one of the few present when it had occurred, but he was still fascinated by them. He took to the air, heading straight for the desert, Scarlett hot on his heels.

The flight was quiet and took a couple of hours, neither saying more than a few words the entire time. The most they spoke was when the base came into view, and Yuan told her the plan. It sounded surprisingly simple, for they were just going to try and break in the side door and remain undetected while they searched the facility. Scarlett thought it seemed a little too easy, but since her mentor was much older than she was, she supposed he wouldn't just go into something without thinking it thoroughly through.

They touched the ground and put their wings away, tiptoeing to the side entrance to the base. The duo made sure to keep a sharp lookout since they were in the desert and there was nowhere to hide. Thankfully, it seemed like no one was in sight. When they came upon the door, Yuan allowed Scarlett to step forward. "It should be rather simple, but keep in mind that they are typically booby trapped should you get the code wrong."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow and tossed him a look over her shoulder. "Booby trapped? How would you know something like that?"

"Let's just say I've been on more than one of these missions," he muttered unpleasantly. "Now, hurry up. Before someone comes."

She turned to the keypad for entering the four digit code and grinned smugly. "I've cracked harder than this. It should only take me a few seconds." She ran her fingers over the edges of the numbers, ranging from one to nine, trying to figure out which of the four were more worn down than the others. It didn't take long to locate them; it was one, three, four, and eight. As she tried figuring out the order in which they came, she inquired with curiosity, "What kinds of booby traps?"

Yuan crossed his arms and waited patiently. He gave a mild shrug as he replied, "Usually a very powerful shock. Then the alarms. I can teleport myself, however. You cannot, if I recall correctly."

Scarlett took a moment to give Yuan an icy glare to which she received a chuckle in return. When she got back to work, Yuan pondered for a moment. _Once she does this, I can keep her quiet just long enough to go run out and find Lloyd. Then, __**he**__ will have no choice but to obey me and I can stop Mithos' plans…but at the same time…I could always let Scarlett in on it. After the life that Mithos-…no, that Yggdrasill has given her, she would have no reason to stay by his side if she were given another option, but she may still have…other uses. Perhaps not just yet._

Scarlett at last decided on the passcode and typed it in: four, eight, one, three. It beeped rapidly in succession and the lock on the door hissed open. She was about to turn and see what Yuan had to say about her hacking skills when a violent shock ran a course throughout her body. The last thing she remembered seeing was the sand as she crashed into the ground.

**XxXxXxX ****Vision**** XxXxXxX**

**A man tore through the forest, his face hidden by shadows, a bloodied sword in his right hand. He fought for breath as he ran like a madman, chasing after something. At last, he came to something of a clearing beside of a large building that looked suspiciously like a Desian base. Standing there near the edge was a monster of an ugly green, its arms long and grotesque, and its entire body smelling of rotting flesh. It turned to face its pursuer, a small little bundle in its arms.**

"**Anna…," the man whispered, his voice sounding broken, as if stripped of all hope. "It's okay… I can help you return to normal, I know it… Please, just get control of yourself."**

**As the beast growled, the little bundle in its arms began to cry hysterically, wiggling around. As if just noticing its presence, the monster looked down at it and raised its free claw.**

"**Anna, **_**no**_**!" The man bellowed with all the force he could muster. His grip tightened on his sword until his knuckles turned white.**

**The monster halted, and seemed to be struggling with that particular decision. A woman's voice could be heard, speaking meekly as if she were crying. **_**"Please, my angel… I don't want to hurt our son… Just…please….before I kill him and hurt you…"**_

"**No! Don't say it-!"**

"_**Please kill me…"**_

"**Anna! How could you say such a thing?!" The man took a step nearer. "Just put him down and calm down. We will figure this out."**

"_**Please… Kratos… Ahh!"**_

**The beast began to roar as it moved its claw down towards the young child, whose cries had intensified. In a green and white blur, a strange creature jumped forward, desperate to protect the child. The claw sliced easily through the beast's coat, quickly staining it with blood. It whimpered and yipped like a canine, limping backwards. The monster turned its attention to the child again. Kratos rushed forward so quickly a human eye could have barely caught it, his sword extended. It pierced through the skin of the monster with ease, bringing its movements to a stop. It stood as still as a statue, and a heavy silence fell throughout the area, the only remaining sound being the child's sobs. Kratos' eyes widened with realization of his actions, and he yanked his sword out from the monster. Its legs wobbled as it took a step backwards. With a bright flash of light, the monster began to shrink into a more humanoid figure, the bundle of the child remaining tight in its arms.**

**When the light faded, in the monster's place was a young woman with short brown hair and light brown eyes that shone with tears. Her stomach was bleeding profusely, her blood splashing to the ground. She began to outstretch her arms to hand Kratos the child when she began to tilt backwards…right off of a cliff.**

**Kratos dropped his sword and reached out for her, but he wasn't quick enough. Just like that, the wails of his son and the figure of his beloved wife faded to the darkness below.**

**XxXxXxX**

Scarlett's eyes slid open as she took a deep breath. Her throat felt closed up, and her brain was already racing with what she had just seen. That had been Kratos and-…those other two…they were his…

She shook her head to clear her mind of the thoughts. _Now isn't the time for this! I'll talk with Kratos later!_

Taking a closer look at her surroundings, she saw that she was in a jail cell. The bars were directly in front of her, a guard standing on the other side, looking at her with a grin. "Ahh, so the other one is finally awake. Quite a shock you got, huh?"

With those few words, the Renegade guard walked off a small distance, out of Scarlett's line of sight. She groaned as she felt the lingering effects of the electricity tingle throughout her body. Her head was throbbing, her ears were ringing, and her limbs felt stiff. No matter. It would fade away soon enough. Glancing around the cell, she saw that Yuan wasn't with her.

"Psst!"

The sound nearly made Scarlett jump out of her skin. She turned her head to the wall to her right, which was where she had heard the noise come from. _…It must be another cell on the other side! But…that didn't sound like Yuan. He probably had no time to act before the Renegades got me. I'm sure he'll be along shortly. I can already hear everything he's going to say to me…_

"Psst! Over here."

Scarlett moved closer towards the wall and whispered back, "Who are you?"

"My name is Lloyd. I'm being held prisoner here. What about you?" The voice sounded like he was nothing but a teenager, Scarlett thought.

"I'm…Scarlett. I was captured, too." She thought of mentioning that she had been separated from her comrade, but held her tongue. Something told her it wasn't a good idea to bring up Yuan unless she found him first. "What did you do to be captured?"

She could sense the hesitation from him before he said, "I was searching for Colette…the Chosen. I sort of…got wrapped up in something else along the way."

This piece of news shocked Scarlett. _There's no way I'm this lucky! What better way to earn the Chosen's trust for later than to use this boy? As long as I don't seem too suspicious, this should work out perfectly… _Aloud, she said, "The Chosen? Wow…do you know her?"

"Well, yes…" There was a soft, sheepish chuckle from Lloyd to accompany this confession. "We grew up together, actually. She just started her journey, but I wanted to…go along with her. Until the very end, when I get to see her become an angel."

Thankful that he couldn't see her, Scarlett's eyes dropped back down to the floor. "An angel…" _Or Martel's vessel…_

"Oh…but I suppose this could wait until later." On the other side, Lloyd stood up and examined his surroundings. "All I have is this ring, still…and I could open the lock, but the guard…"

As if on cue, the guard walked back up to the cells and tapped the bars with his sword. "Hey! Quiet down in there!"

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at the man giving her orders, but listened to him. Even though she could use magic, she was still unarmed at the moment. The guard walked on past her cell and began to pace on the other side of the bars. Before she knew what had happened, there was a small fireball that flew at the guard, both burning him and catching him off guard. He yelped and ran with shock. Lloyd sniggered, "Man, these Desians are actually pretty wimpy if that's all that took. Now, let me just open this door up…"

_Desians? He thinks they're Desians? Hmm…well…I guess I'd better go along with it for now._ "You can do that? Open the door?"

A creaking sound was heard, and not but a second later, Lloyd was standing before her cell, a grin on his seventeen year old face. "Of course I can. Give me one minute and I'll have yours open, too!" His brown eyes darted around and found the small control panel for the door. He punched in a few things, and the door soon raised open. Scarlett stepped out gratefully, and when she did, she saw that Lloyd had a hand extended to her. "Nice to officially meet you."

Scarlett looked at his hand for a moment before shaking it. "Indeed, it is." She offered him a smirk of her own. "I guess now the next step is finding where our weapons got to…"

"You have weapons?" Lloyd's tone sounded shocked. "Well…I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. You have an Exsphere."

_He also doesn't know the difference between an Exsphere and a Cruxis Crystal…_ "That was a quick observation. Yes, I do have a weapon and an Exsphere. Although…I have a question for you." She took a few steps forward, listening for anyone who may be approaching and also keeping an eye out for her belongings.

Lloyd began to follow her lead, making sure to walk quietly. "What's that?"

"How do you know that you can trust me?"

Without any hesitation, he said, "Anyone caught by the Desians is someone in need. I want to help everyone that I can. What sort of person would I be if I left you to be made into a slave on a human ranch?" With a small triumphant cry, nearly a contradiction to the serious tone he'd just had a moment ago, he passed by Scarlett into a small circular area. "Here's my swords!"

He reached into a small chest and pulled forth twin swords as well as a pack of what Scarlett guessed were other small items he had for his journey. As he attached his swords back to his hip, she spotted Koikage leaning against the wall. Placing her hands on it gave her a reassuring feeling. Now she didn't have to worry about anyone in her way.

The two had just begun to walk away from the area when alarms began to ring and a red light flashed above them. The guard that Lloyd had assaulted must have gone and raised the alarm, alerting the entire base of their escape. Lloyd grumbled to himself, but kept moving forward. Turning his head to look back at Scarlett, he inquired, "What do you do?"

"I've done a little bit of mercenary work. Recently, I was just travelling to go visit a friend of mine when I was captured." Scarlett could've sighed with relief. The lie rolled off of her tongue as though it weren't one. She knew that Kratos had come down to Sylvarant under the mercenary guise, so she thought she could play off of it just a little bit. Besides, she knew that she would have to tone down her fighting skills a little bit, but she was still an impressive fighter, so it didn't come across as suspicious.

"Mercenary, huh? Seems to be a lot of that lately…"

_Then Kratos has already joined them._ "What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Besides, looks like we'll have to talk later. We have some company!" Lloyd drew his swords, his eyes set with determination on the approaching Renegades, their swords drawn and ready to attack.

"I'll watch your back!" Scarlett called out to him as he charged forward. There were three of them, but they wouldn't take long at all. Renegades were no match for her skill whatsoever.

Lloyd charged at the first soldier he came across, blocking an attack with his left sword and then striking with his right. It fell upon the armor that the soldier wore, but it still caused him to stumble backwards. Another foot soldier came up on Lloyd's side, attempting to slash at him, but Lloyd barely managed to dodge his blow. Scarlett analyzed the situation quickly and began to cast a spell. She held her scythe at a diagonal angle behind her back while she set into her rhythmic movements of taking her right hand and moving it up, down, and to the left, then backwards, as if forming a backwards L. She could sense the third Renegade running at her, but she cast her spell in time, needing no incantation for such a low-level spell. "Fireball!"

The three fireballs each hit a target. Two assaulted the one that was about to attack Scarlett, and the third hit the back of the man that had tried catching Lloyd off guard. Seeing his chance, Lloyd brought his swords back and put a fatal gash in his chest. The Renegade was dead before he hit the floor. Scarlett ignored the sight of the blood and kept her focus on the enemy in front of her that was recovering from her magic attack. She saw that Lloyd was now exchanging blows with the first man when she ran at the third. She swung Koikage at him with great force, and then tsked softly as he brought up his sword to block her. It was a momentary battle of strength as they tried to overpower each other. When they broke away, Scarlett brought Koikage up over her head and brought it down upon the man while calling, "Fierce Demon Fang!"

She saw his sword shatter just before her scythe came down upon him. When the dust from her strike cleared, she saw the blood dripping from her weapon, but turned to see how Lloyd was doing. He, too, had unleashed his own Demon Fang and killed the last one alive. His eyes shifted to look at her with impression. "Wow, you're a pretty strong fighter."

"You're alright yourself," Scarlett replied. "You barely needed my backup at all."

"Not true!" Lloyd pulled a rag from his pocket and wiped the blood off of his swords with a swift movement. As he sheathed them, he said, "If I had been alone fighting all three, there's a chance they would've overpowered me. Thanks for your help."

"Oh, no thanks are needed. Although…I suppose that we should find a way out of here before we do anything else, huh?" Scarlett propped Koikage on the floor and leaned against it. "What do you think? Should we go together or split up and try to find a way faster?" Scarlett hoped it was the latter, because that would not only give her a chance to find the exit, but she could possibly locate the Renegade's leader at the same time.

She saw the battle happening within Lloyd as he tried to make a hasty decision. "Normally, I would say that we should stick together, but…maybe right now, the quicker we get out of here, the better."

"Right. I'll be able to find you quicker than you'd be able to find me, I think. I've had some experiencing tracking. So let's hope I find an exit faster than you!" Scarlett gave him a teasing wink. "Consider it a challenge."

This brought forth a grin to Lloyd's face. "Well, I accept. Be careful, alright?"

"You do the same."

They parted ways quickly after they walked through the door leading from the holding cells, each one running a different direction. Scarlett couldn't help but notice that Lloyd's movements were incredibly loud. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be spotted again. Still, she couldn't allow him to be recaptured or die…not if she was going to use him to earn his trust along with the Chosen's. _Speaking of which…I wonder where they are._

Scarlett practically glided down the hall, her feet hardly touching the ground, making little to no sound whatsoever. Her eyes darted about, looking for clues that could help her while she also kept an eye peeled for the exit. Off in the distance, she could hear sounds of another battle, accompanied by Lloyd's yells. They were not ones of distress, but just of normal battle. _I think he'll be okay._

She came to a hangar of sorts, but it was completely empty. Pausing for a moment, she walked over to the computer screens and saw that the hangar contained rheairds. This was no surprise; the Renegades had always had them in both worlds and created a method to go from Sylvarant to Tethe'alla using these machines. How they even knew about the worlds was still one thing that baffled Cruxis members, Scarlett included. The only thing that made sense to her was if they had a mole within the organization, but she wouldn't have a clue where to start pointing fingers.

Rushing footsteps were heard approaching Scarlett, and she turned about swiftly on her heel, weapon at the ready. What she saw instead surprised her. A group of three people entered the hangar, one of which she knew. The first was a young teenage girl with fair blonde hair and gentle blue eyes, and the Cruxis Crystal around her neck told Scarlett that this girl was the Chosen! Behind her was a woman who was obviously not a human with her shimmering silver hair and calculating blue eyes. Last was the one and only Kratos Aurion, giving Scarlett a look as shocked as he could possibly make it. The silver haired woman demanded, "Who are you? Are you with the Desians?"

"N-no, I'm not! I was captive here with another person – Lloyd! We escaped and split up to find an exit." She held up her free right hand as a sign that she wasn't going to attack them just in case they didn't believe her.

"Lloyd?!" The Chosen's eyes widened with surprise. "Where is he?! Is he okay?!"

"Yes, when I saw him, he was fine."

"Professor, Mr. Kratos, let's go! He might need our help!" Hastily, the blonde girl ran out of the room, the silver haired woman following behind her after giving Scarlett one more glance. That just left her alone with Kratos.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he said, "Go ahead and get out. Wait for us at the entrance. That woman's little brother is also waiting. We'll talk later." With that, he too ran from the room after the two women.

Scarlett sighed and propped Koikage on the ground, standing still for a moment. She listened for any further movement, but heard none approaching her, so she deemed it safe enough to leave the hangar. Still, she twisted throughout the halls with caution, having to avoid a few Renegades here and there. She figured it would work out better if she escaped without being spotted again. At last, she found the front door, or at least an exit. She glanced left and right, checking to make sure that no one was watching, and she began to make a break for it. She had nearly made it to the door in time when a voice behind her called, "Hey, stop!"

Scarlett froze in her tracks before spinning around to face the Renegade that had hollered at her. She saw his eyes narrow with both suspicion and recognition. _This isn't good. I need to get rid of him before he alerts the others_…, she thought quickly, not seeing any other solution to her issue. Without even needing an incantation or taking time to call forth a magic circle, Scarlett swung her scythe at the man and hissed venomously, "Grave!"

"You were the one that was brought in by Lord-gahhh-!" The Renegade wasn't able to finish his sentence before the spears of earth broke through the floor and pierced his body. Scarlett paused for just a moment, wondering if he was about to name the Renegade leader that had possibly brought her inside the base after being shocked by the booby trap. Now was not the time to linger on the possibilities of what his last words would have been. Right now, she needed to do as Kratos said and leave.

**XxXxXxX**

**Well, first off, I do apologize for this part at the ending... I know that Lloyd would probably never have agreed to split up, but I couldn't really think of any good way that he would agree to it... So I know that part is probably a bit unrealistic as far as Lloyd goes, but hey! There was action...! Yeah...?!**

**Well, you all do your thing and I'll do mine and go work on the next chapter now!**


	4. The Charade

**Hello again, and welcome to chapter tres! As per usual, a shout-out to my awesome, darling reviewers: **Marina Ka-Fai **and **Mapo99**! Thanks so much to the two of you for your reviews.**

**The vision of Kratos will be reviewed in times to come, and yes...Kratos does really care about the kids. You'll especially see that in...the next chapter! And our Renegade adventure will be coming up in chapter five, which is all typed and ready to go.**

**I assume most of you will realize this first part is not at all like the game, but as I said, there are some minor changes going around. But without further ado, here we go!**

**XxXxXxX**

_**Chapter Three_The Charade**_

Scarlett left through the front doors of the Renegade base and saw a young boy with silver hair and nearly identical blue eyes to the woman that she had seen with the Chosen earlier come running, the look of relief on his face quickly replaced by confusion. "Oh, umm…you're not my sister. Who are you?" He tensed up visibly. "You aren't a Desian, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I was being held captive by them as well. I met with Lloyd; are you another of his friends?"

"You saw Lloyd?! He was okay?!" The boy's eyes widened and he began to smile.

"Yes, he was alright. The others that I met inside were on their way to help him." Scarlett glanced over her shoulder and added, "But perhaps this isn't the best place to wait for them, you think? Let's move out of sight in case someone else comes out."

"Oh, yeah, you're right." The boy moved back to behind the dune that he had been behind. Scarlett followed behind him and was shocked when her eyes caught a glance of a large figure with the colors of white and green. A closer inspection made her think at first that it was a monster, but the young boy seemed completely accustomed to his presence. When he saw her discomfort, he said, "Oh, don't worry. This is Noishe – he's Lloyd's dog."

Deciding that for the moment, she shouldn't make a comment on this beast being a dog, she just accepted it. When the boy sat, Scarlett inquired, "Do you mind if I sit next to you?" His blue eyes flickered to see the small trace of blood still upon Koikage's blade, but he nodded silently. Scarlett set Koikage off to the side so that it wouldn't be in her hands any longer. Looking at him, she gave him a small smile of reassurance. "It's okay. I won't hurt you. My name is Scarlett. What's yours?"

"…Genis." This small exchange seemed to help settle the boy's nerves as he returned her smile. "Why were you being held captive?"

"I was on my way to visit a friend and for whatever reason, they captured me."

With another glance to her scythe, Genis asked, "What do you do?"

"Recently, I've been doing some mercenary work. I'm usually just travelling, doing small odd jobs, though." An idea clicked into Scarlett's head to help her lie along. She had already fought and helped protect Lloyd, a companion of the Chosen, and Genis must be part of their group, too. Now, she could help earn his trust some more, too. He didn't know that she knew that the blonde girl inside was the Chosen. "I was just going to visit this friend before I set out on my next mission."

"What is it?"

Scarlett chuckled and gave him a sideways look. "You really want to know?" The tone she chose to use made it sound as though it were some big secret. When he nodded enthusiastically, she said, "Well, I was in Palmacosta when I was visiting the Church of Martel. Inside, I met some people that I had saved from a monster attack, and they said that they thought I was skilled enough to help the Chosen in her journey to salvation. So, I was setting out to look for her, especially since the Tower has appeared in the sky. After being captured, though…I don't think I'm qualified."

Genis' eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he pulled his knees up to his chest. "The Chosen, huh? That's a pretty big job, don't you think?"

"Hmm…yeah, I guess so. But I'm just a common person compared to the Chosen, so I would happily lay down my life if it meant peace from the Desians."

The determination in her voice made Genis look at her, almost analytically, just as his sister had done not too long ago. He looked as though he were trying to decide whether or not if she was telling the truth. She gave him a puzzled look, seeming as though she were trying to act dumb. Genis shook his head. "No, it's nothing. That's a very bold statement, I thought. It's admirable that you want to help save the world like that. It almost sounds like Lloyd…but he would say something like he would find a way to do it without having to sacrifice anyone."

Scarlett raised her eyebrow at the boy. "You're a lot smarter than others your age, aren't you? And Lloyd…he sounds like he's a good person, as well as a good friend. Is he close to you?" _If he is…how close? Does he understand that you are a half-elf? It's obvious that you aren't an elf, judging by your mana trace and even your ears. Lloyd is pure human. This may be Sylvarant and not Tethe'alla, but half-elves are still not welcome just anywhere in either world._

Genis grinned and rubbed the back of his head as he chuckled. "Well, Lloyd and I are best friends! That's why I'm worried about him… I would've gone in to help them, but my sister, Raine, told me to stay here and wait for them with Noishe…"

"I see… Well, I'll protect you while they're inside. They shouldn't be much longer."

"I don't need protecting!" Genis insisted, to which he received a laugh from Scarlett.

The two then sat quietly, not saying too much more. Scarlett could sense that Genis wasn't entirely in a mood for conversation since he had been left behind and was having to wait and worry about the safe arrival of his sister and friends. That was okay, though, because she didn't have much else to say, either. Noishe whined and kept pushing her shoulder with his nose, so she submitted and began to pet him, which he seemed to thoroughly enjoy.

It was probably fifteen minutes later when alarms began to go off, and Genis stood up alertly. "What is it?!"

"Look, here they come!" Scarlett took hold of her scythe and stood beside of him.

The group, now consisting of four people, was rushing out of the building. Lloyd caught sight of Genis, and his worried expression brightened almost instantly. "Genis! You brought them here?!"

"Duh!" the young boy narrowed his eyes at the obvious answer to Lloyd's obvious question.

"We don't have the time for this. We need to get away from here," the silver haired woman, which Scarlett assumed was Raine, snapped with authority.

"Oh, but what about-?" Lloyd began, his eyes set on Scarlett.

"She'll come with us, too. Now, let's hurry!"

Scarlett didn't argue as she followed the others as they fled the base, where the activity had begun to pick up, searching for the intruders.

**XxXxXxX**

As Lloyd finished his tale of how he and Genis came to be in Triet, which was where the group had escaped to, Scarlett almost felt sorry for the duo. Because of a single meeting with an innocent woman at a Desian human ranch, they caused an attack on their village of Iselia, where the Desian leader, Forcystus, had discovered that Lloyd possessed a "special" type of Exsphere. Scarlett had heard from Lord Yggdrasill that one of the five Desian Grand Cardinals had made a special Exsphere years ago, but it had been stolen. Something told her this wasn't the last time they would discuss Lloyd's Exsphere. Now, the two had been banished from Iselia so that the villagers wouldn't have to live in fear of another attack from the ranch.

Once that tale had been told, Lloyd and Kratos both began to tell Raine about Exspheres and how they worked along with a Key Crest. Scarlett zoned in and out, not particularly listening to their conversation since she knew all about it. Kratos had more practice in sounding knowledgeable, but not _too_ knowledgeable, so she would leave that to him. That is, until she was brought into it.

"How about you, Scarlett? Where did your Exsphere come from?" Raine inquired.

Her insides felt like ice for a moment as she tried to think of an excuse. "My friend - the one I was going to visit - he said he had found one on a dead Desian, so he gave it to me. He said that I would need it more than him." She added a small huff, hoping to display irritation. "But...I guess he was right."

While there was a pause, Raine seemed to accept this answer. "Where will you go from here? Will the Desians be after you any further?"

"I hadn't thought of that... I'm not sure if they will be or not," Scarlett admitted. "I was just...going to find some way to get to Palmacosta again."

"I thought you just came from Palmacosta?" Genis voiced slightly accusingly.

"I-It's just, after this whole ordeal, I... I don't feel like I should be one protecting the Chosen, even if she were to want me to." Scarlett averted her gaze. "If there were some other way I could help, I would..."

Colette finally spoke up. "No, Scarlett. You are a very brave person, I think, to have come out here and face this and still be able to try and think of others. If you ever felt ready to be with us, I would happily welcome you."

"You would...?" Scarlett's eyes widened. "Wait a minute! Colette, you're-?!"

"Yep!" Colette chirped, smiling as she always did.

"Umm... Wow." Scarlett flushed lightly. "I certainly feel dumb now, after all that..."

"You have no reason to at all," the Chosen assured her.

"Well, no matter your plans, you did help Lloyd out, by the sounds of it." Raine moved away from the wall she had been leaning on to approach her belongings. "So you can at least stay here for the evening with us while you figure everything out. Lloyd, if I may ask, can a Key Crest be made of any of these items?" She began to rummage through her items that she pulled out of her bag, naming each one and where it came from.

"Sis, did you...bring those all from our house?" Genis inquired, taken aback.

"Of course! They're valuable research materials!"

As Raine pulled out a vase, something else tumbled out with it and rolled across the floor. Kratos caught this and went to pick it up with curiosity. "Hmm? This is..."

Lloyd walked over to examine it. "Professor! This is a Key Crest!"

"The crest is half worn off, though," Kratos pointed out sagely as he handed it over.

Lloyd eyed it and set it carefully in his pocket. "Don't worry, I can fix that. You'll be able to equip your Exsphere by tomorrow, Professor."

"Really?! Thank you, Lloyd! I really appreciate it!"

Scarlett could've sworn that she had seen a glimmer in Raine's eyes, but when she quickly shooed everyone out of the room so that she and Genis could prepare for bed, she decided that maybe she had imagined it. The only room that they had rented out for the evening that had an extra bed to sleep in was Kratos' and Lloyd's room. She followed the duo downstairs and into the room. As soon as they entered, Lloyd sat his bag down and immediately pulled the Key Crest back out to begin repairing it. Kratos observed for only a few moments before he also set down his small bag and sat on a bed, collecting his thoughts.

Scarlett felt slightly awkward in the room with the two of them, especially with it being so quiet. She hesitantly set Koikage down, leaning against the wall, and claimed a bed. Sitting down on it, she released a soft sigh and ran a hand down her face. It had been an unusually long day, even for her. As she sat there, recalling the day's events, she remembered the vision that she had that contained Kratos. She reached into her satchel and withdrew her journal that held all of the visions she'd ever had - one for every day since it began. Flipping it open, she propped it on her legs and quickly wrote it all down, trying to remember the details as best she could. Once she finished, she turned her gaze up to Kratos, who was giving her a mildly quizzical glance. Understanding from the look in Scarlett's eyes, Kratos nodded. He knew she needed to talk to him.

It was quickly growing dark outside, and it got to the point where they had to light the candles in the room. It was around that same time that Lloyd stood victoriously and held up the finished Key Crest. "It's finished! I guess I'll go give this to the Professor now."

"It's getting late, and we need our strength for tomorrow. You need to hurry up and get some rest," Kratos advised him.

"I know. I'll be back in a minute," Lloyd assured him on his way out the door, admiring his work.

Once the door firmly shut and they heard Lloyd's footsteps retreat, Kratos shifted his gaze to Scarlett. "Now might be an appropriate time to tell me why you were in the Renegade Base...and why you had been captured."

Scarlett flinched from the last part of his sentence, which contained a stricter tone. "I was with Yuan, under Lord Yggdrasill's order, to see if we could track down the Renegade leader, but...I got hit with a booby trap when I disarmed the alarms on the outside of the building..." She gave a weak chuckle before adding, "But I guess Yuan escaped? He wasn't in the base with me, and I couldn't sense his mana signature anywhere."

Kratos maintained his straight face as he absorbed this. "Yes, I imagine Yuan escaped. Now...what did you have to talk to me about?"

"It...was one of my visions. It was...about you." At this, Kratos stiffened noticeably. "There was you, a monster, a child, and-..." Realization struck Scarlett. Noishe! The creature she had seen in her vision was Noishe! He was the same color and build as what she had seen. "...and Noishe."

Scarlett could see how Kratos was barely shaking, his hands clenched into tight fists, his eyes dark and dangerous. She immediately regretted bringing it up. "I-I'm sorry, Kratos! I... You know that I hate when this happens... I have no control over what I see..."

"What names were spoken?" he demanded shortly.

Scarlett quickly read through her notes she had written. "...Just Anna."

This seemed to give Kratos a slight relief, but not much. "...Drop it. Forget you saw it. It has nothing to do with you." Without another word, he made his way from the room, closing the door rather noisily behind him.

Scarlett allowed her tension to leave her body with a heavy release of breath. Kratos was the most intimidating person she knew, other than Lord Yggdrasill. She had only ever seen him that way perhaps two other times, where he was truly emotional. At the same time, it wasn't a single emotion he was displaying. Shaking her head, she tried to not think of it any further. It wasn't her business. She was just happy that Kratos wouldn't hold a grudge to her for it, since he knew her words were true. Her visions were extremely random as far as content, and most of the time, they were completely meaningless. Once in a while, though, she saw things that she really shouldn't have. The very first vision she had was of a beautiful half-elf woman with flowing green hair and the most gentle green eyes she'd ever seen. When she asked Yuan who she was, he grew very distant and told her not to speak of this woman to him again. When the curious, younger Scarlett went to Kratos, he told her the same thing, though he didn't look near as devastated as Yuan had.

She went and sprawled out on her bed, gazing at the ceiling absentmindedly. She wondered what Celeste was up to - and Priya! Priya had been another strange orphan child that Lord Yggdrasill had allowed to live there, but she was a half-elf and Lord Yggdrasill himself had been the one to find her. She, too, had been changed into an angel and had been forced to work under Pronyma, which was where Scarlett sympathized with her for. Now that Scarlett was older, she couldn't help but feel that Lord Yggdrasill had ulterior motives for bringing them all under the roof of Cruxis. Naturally, she never voiced this concerns aloud, because she knew what the consequences would bring her.

Suddenly, the door open and Kratos came through, Lloyd trailing behind him a few steps back. Instantly, Scarlett could see that Kratos' gaze was gentler, and Lloyd appeared to be grumbling about something, but neither said what had happened to her.

Just as Scarlett was getting ready to lay down for the evening and "sleep", Lloyd walked over to her. "By the way, Scarlett...do you want me to fix your Key Crest, too?"

She frowned deeply. "What do you mean? My Key Crest works fine..."

"It does for now, but," Lloyd narrowed his eyes to get a better look at it in the dim light, "the crests are wearing down. If it isn't fixed soon, it'll... Well, it won't work. You helped me out - fixing your Key Crest is the least I can do."

Scarlett didn't risk a glance towards Kratos, who had been listening but was going about his own business. Why would the Key Crest that Lord Yggdrasill given her not work for long? Did that mean that Celeste's and Priya's were the same way? Still, this piqued her interest, so she gave a smile of relief to Lloyd. "That would be great. I didn't think anything was wrong with it. But since you know more about these than me, I'll trust you on it."

Lloyd grinned back at her. "Great. I'll get on that tomorrow when we go to the Fire Seal."

"Lloyd," Kratos voiced, "she hasn't said if she was accompanying us or not."

The teen flushed to his ears. "O-oh, right. Umm, well..."

"I'll...at least go with you, I think. I can guard the entrance while you're all taking care of the rest."

This seemed to lift Lloyd's spirits. "Alright then! I'll get it done for you tomorrow at some point."

"...Thanks, Lloyd."

**XxXxXxX**

**Dun-dun-dun-dunnn! Why isn't Scarlett's Key Crest working like it should? Will Scarlett continue her journey with the Chosen into the Fire Seal? Do Celeste's and Priya's (even though you haven't met her yet) Key Crests work or not? Stay tuned!**

**...Okay, that was really lame, but seriously! Let's have a little review party down below! Just type-y in the little box-y and do a little dance-y...**

**See you next chapter!**


	5. Moving Onward

**Hi again, everyone! Thanks to my darling reviewers, **Marina Ka-Fai** and **Mapo99**... You guys are purely awesome! Thanks for your encouraging reviews that made me smile.**

**As requested, here is another chapter! You all know the disclaimer, I'm sure. Now...who's ready to see how much of a bad guy Yggy really is?!**

**XxXxXxX**

_**Chapter Four_Moving Onward**_

The next morning, when Scarlett announced her decision to accompany the Chosen's group to the Fire Seal, it was met with both enthusiastic joy and slight skepticism from both Raine and Kratos, since he had to play his part well. In the end, Colette got the ultimate choice and naturally decided to let her come with them. However, not too far into their journey through the desert...

"Ugh! It is _so_ hot...!"

"Lloyd, if you say that _one_ more time..."

"Genis, save your mana. Don't waste it on Lloyd's whining."

"It's okay, Lloyd! The sooner we make it to the seal, the sooner we can leave this place behind and go to the next seal!"

Already, Scarlett could tell they were quite the interesting group of people.

Lloyd, despite his unwavering resolve and determination, was still maturing much for his age and appeared to obviously not like extreme conditions; Genis was the exact opposite, for he was much more mature than others his age and beyond...like Lloyd; Colette was a very gentle girl that could be described as a happy-go-lucky optimist and though she was as hot as the rest of them were, she didn't let it slow her down; Raine was both the babysitter and the big sister to the younger members of the group and scolded them often with either anger or indifference; Kratos seemed to just hang back and let Raine maintain the teenagers, not wanting to get wrapped up in their petty disputes.

While Scarlett herself was only twenty-one, she still wasn't sure on how to interact with the others. She laughed at their jokes and even on occasion, what they argued about, but all in all, she didn't engage in much conversation. Perhaps it was because one thing was on the back of her mind at all times: when was she going to pass out and experience a vision? It seemed like when she kept moving, she didn't have as much trouble, but when she let her body relax, it would take over. With a dry tone, she thought to herself, _Guess I'll have to experiment with it and see what happens..._

The only ones that knew that Scarlett experienced these visions were Kratos, Yuan, Celeste, and Priya. When Sheldon and Faye had been alive, they had known about it as well. After Yuan had spoken to Scarlett again when she had mentioned the lovely lady with green hair, he told her to never tell Lord Yggdrasill about the things she was now seeing. Sensing that it was an important secret, Scarlett agreed to keep it.

When they stopped for a break and to drink from their canteens, Lloyd asked to see Scarlett's Key Crest. Every break they took, he stopped to take a look at it and carve a few of the crests into it at a time. Though Scarlett insisted she could wait until they had finished with the Fire Seal, Lloyd assured her it was okay.

They only rested for a short ten minutes before Raine suggested they move on. "The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get out of the sun. It shouldn't be much farther."

They had been travelling for about four hours when the ruins finally came into view in the distance and grew larger quickly, the morning shifting into early afternoon. Genis squinted his eyes to see through the heat waves. "Is that where the seal is?"

"Yes, Genis. You see, this area where the Fire Seal is located is in the ruins of an ancient city that was destroyed by the Summon Spirit Efreet's hellfire." Raine's eyes seemed to begin to twinkle, despite the fact that she was profusely wiping sweat from her brow.

The younger magic user turned his attention to Scarlett with a curious look. "Scarlett, how are you not _sweating_ like crazy?"

Scarlett jumped slightly at his question. "Wh-what? I'm sweating just like the rest of you."

"Hardly." He scoffed. "You barely seem hot!"

She couldn't think of an excuse off the top of her head. She knew exactly why the intense, dry heat of the desert wasn't bothering her, but she couldn't tell them that. "I... I don't know. I'm really hot too. Maybe I'm just dehydrated?"

"But sweating is the body's natural way to cool your internals down." Raine raised an eyebrow, now catching on to what her brother was saying.

"I-..."

"Hey, guys, we have company!" Lloyd called from up ahead, unsheathing his twin swords.

The conversation came to a halt, much to Scarlett's relief, and they ran forward to aid in the battle. It was a band of thieves, armed with daggers and beaten down swords. Allowing no time for thought, Scarlett ran to the front with Lloyd and Kratos, Colette attacking from behind them, and Genis and Raine providing support with their magic. In no time at all, the five thieves lay dead, their blood staining the sand. As if to make a point, Scarlett raised her arm and wiped her face with it before glancing around to make sure everyone was okay.

Colette put her chakrams away and pointed, "Look! Here we are!"

As they entered the premises of the ruins, Lloyd hung his head and shoulders. "Ah, so hot... Man, I'm beat..."

"It's probably because of how much energy you spent being so energetic in the beginning," Scarlett pointed out with a chuckle.

"I am _sick_ of this desert," he moaned as though he hadn't heard her.

Noishe passed by them, sniffing the air. He suddenly pinned his ears back and whined profusely. Lloyd frowned slightly and inquired, "What is it, Noishe?"

"Be on your guard...there are enemies about!" Kratos unsheathed his sword again quickly, everyone else following his example.

Floating towards them were a set of three monsters that began to cast magic. Lloyd, Kratos, and Scarlett each ran at once. Kratos and Scarlett put enough force behind their attacks that it broke the monsters' concentration, but Lloyd's blow didn't do enough. The monster cast its magic, sending Fireball right at Colette.

"Watch out!" Scarlett cried, running to the path of the magic. "Guardian!" The Fireballs all dissipated when they hit the green shield. She turned to Colette hurriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes. Thank you, Scarlett!" Colette had enough time to flash her a quick smile before she pointed behind her. "Watch out!" Spinning in a circle, she threw her chakram to stun one of the monsters that had been making its way to the duo. "Ray Thrust!"

Scarlett jumped at it and sliced right through it with Koikage. All evidence that the monster had been there fell to the ground, motionless. When Genis cast an Aqua Edge once Kratos had pinned his opponent to the ground, that monster too fell. The mercenary went to help Lloyd finish off his enemy.

When it was over, Kratos muttered, "This is going to be a nuisance."

"What is?" Lloyd questioned obliviously.

"Uh...nothing." Kratos cleared his throat. "Anyway, it would be good for you to learn techniques to help guard yourself in battles with magic."

"You mean like self-defense training?" Colette voiced, allowing Raine to inspect and make sure she hadn't been harmed.

"Yes, something like that. I'll teach you the basics. After that, the rest should be easy." Kratos paused for a moment, thinking about how to explain it to them.

"Scarlett, I'm impressed you knew such a technique," Raine said to her.

The redhead gave a shrug of her shoulders. "Well, I learned it fairly easily... It's the most basic technique for defense..."

Raine flushed lightly in her cheeks as she turned her attention back to Kratos.

"Think of the mana around you turning into a solid object. You "reach" out for it, and when you do that, it will momentarily form an impenetrable shield around you."

Lloyd pondered on his words for a moment and gave it a shot. The shield appeared, but flickered away within two seconds. "Okay... I don't really get it, but I got it. Thanks, Kratos!"

"Yeah, we can practice it and get it down pretty quick!" Colette added, clapping her hands with excitement.

Raine looked around, as if just realizing something. "Hmm...what happened to Noishe?"

Lloyd brought a hand to his face. "Ah, you're right. Man, he's run off again."

"He's probably nervous about the monsters. I think it would be best not to count on Noishe in places with monsters around." Kratos crossed his arms. "For now, let's go and work on the seal."

Scarlett hung about in the back while they climbed the stairs to where a door in the ground was covered by a stone. While the others looked around curiously, Raine cried, "Fantastic!" This made all heads turn towards the silver-haired professor as she practically skipped to the door. "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly a different type than the surrounding stone!" She leaned over, her eyes analyzing it swiftly. "Haha, it's just as I thought!" She fell to her knees and began stroking the stone. "This is polycarbonate, developed during the ancient war to defend against magic! Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous!"

Kratos found his voice first. "...Is she always like this?"

Genis laughed weakly as Raine moved onto other things, admiring the structure of the ruins. When she practically pushed Lloyd out of the way to examine something, he turned towards his best friend. "...Is she?"

Groaning, Genis mumbled, "Ooh... I've been trying so hard to hide it, too..."

"Hmm...this depression... It reads "Oracle Stone"..." Raine gestured for Colette to approach. "Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

"Really?" Lloyd's tone indicated he was already growing more excited.

"This stone had been enchanted with magic to identify the Chosen. There's no question about it."

Colette slowly set her hand upon the Oracle Stone, to which it responded. The polycarbonate door slid open, revealing that there were stairs leading down into the ruins. Colette's eyes widened slightly. "Wow, it opened! I guess I really am the Chosen!"

"Yes, I think we all know that already," Genis drawled slightly.

"Okay, _now_ it's getting exciting! Let's go!" Lloyd pumped a fist, looking around for confirmation.

"I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm..." Kratos turned to look at Scarlett. "What will you do?"

"I'll stay out here and guard the entrance," she replied. "If more desert people pass by an see that there's now an entrance, they'd want to go investigate to see if there's treasure."

"Are you sure? Your skills would be very much useful," Raine said.

"Yes. I won't let anyone bother you." Scarlett gave her an assuring smile.

"...Very well, then."

"We'll be back soon!" Lloyd called as he led the group down the stairs.

"Be careful." Scarlett settled in for a long afternoon. She sat out in the open, not at all disturbed by the hot midday sun. Koikage lay beside her where she could reach it if needed. Monsters passed by the ruins, but none bothered her. Surprisingly, after an hour and a half or so, Noishe came back to see where Lloyd had gone, but once he smelled that he had gone underground, the creature seemed satisfied to remain with Scarlett outside. She pet him to help keep him calm when monsters passed by them. If any of them started to wander too close to the point where she could feel Noishe tense in preparation for running, Scarlett would close her eyes in concentration and incinerate them with a Flame Lance.

As the afternoon dragged on, it brought with it a very unexpected visitor. Scarlett had been zoning out, feeling very relaxed when she pet Noishe. She was so out of it that it startled her when Noishe yipped and jumped up. His action was quickly followed by a familiar voice grumbling, "Get _down_, you mutt...!"

"Yuan?" Scarlett stood up to clarify that it indeed was the blue-haired half-elf getting slobbered over by Noishe. When she knew for sure it was him, she stomped over and demanded, "Where did you go yesterday?"

"That's what I came to talk to you about." Yuan pushed Noishe away and gave Scarlett a serious look. "Let's go sit down."

Obeying with curiosity, Scarlett walked back over to where she had been sitting, Yuan taking a spot next to her. She looked over at him with puzzlement, waiting for him to begin. He took a moment to inhale deeply. "Alright... Listen to me. I've been thinking a lot since yesterday, and I've come to a conclusion about something." 

"And that is...?"

"I'm going to let you in on something, but it's a secret from Yggdrasill."

Scarlett's brows furrowed with worry. She knew that many small internal strife occurrences happened on occasion without Lord Yggdrasill finding out about them. However, she never thought that Yuan would be a part of one. Still, she remained quiet and let him proceed.

"I am...the leader of the Renegades."

This made her blank out for a moment as she processed what he had just said. "You're...what?! But-how?! _Why_?!"

"Be quiet and I'll tell you," he hissed. He paused, seemingly listening to something. "I don't have too much time. They're fighting the guardian now. Okay...you remember when you had your first vision?"

"Yes..."

"Do you know who she was?"

"No..."

"That was Martel." When she looked like she was about to say something else, he threw her a withering look that told her to remain silent. "You know that she is Yggdrasill's sister, correct? Over the centuries, his methods have become more and more twisted. His mind has lost all reasoning. Of course, I would want, maybe even more than him, for Martel to come back, but...she wouldn't be happy. He has sacrificed so many lives for hers that if she came back through the vessel of the Chosen, there's no way she would be happy. I've tried talking to him and reasoning with him, but words are beyond him anymore.

"That's why I formed the Renegades. I needed to remain inside Cruxis for information and to keep tabs on his movements. Yet, outside of Cruxis, I wanted to be able to oppose him and prevent his plans from ever succeeding. Do you understand that?"

"Y-yes, but..." Scarlett turned her eyes downward, still trying to sort out this flood of information. "He is still your friend, isn't he? You still betrayed him."

"No. My friend Mithos is long dead, and Yggdrasill killed him."

"But...why tell me all this?"

"I want you to help me, Scarlett. I haven't been able to get in contact with Celeste yet, but Priya has agreed to help me. We are currently working on a plan to make her appear to go missing in action. Yggdrasill won't look for her - he will assume her dead. She might be a fellow half-elf, but she is still just a pawn in his game." Yuan turned his head to face her. "What do you say?"

Scarlett tilted her head up to meet his gaze, but he could see in her eyes that she was conflicted. "It's...not that easy for me. I mean, Yggdrasill allowed me to live, so it's like I'm indebted to him."

"We just had this conversation on Derris-Kharlan. Scarlett, I don't believe that you're truly happy living there and doing this kind of thing." With another pause, he said, "I'm out of time. They're coming. Look, I know Yggdrasill told you not to stick with the Chosen for the whole journey. Take some time, think things over. If you decide you want to help me, come to the Triet Base when you leave them." At her face, he inquired sarcastically, "Are you going to go tattle to Yggdrasill?"

"...No... I owe my life more to you and Kratos than Lord Yggdrasill." Scarlett gave him a weak smile.

Yuan cracked a grin of his own and, sufficed with her answer, transported himself away. Not even ten seconds later, the group emerged wearily from underground. Lloyd called, "Scarlett! We're back. Everything okay here?"

Scarlett quickly plastered a smile of relief on her face. "Hey, guys! Yeah, everything's good out here. Is everyone okay?"

"More or less," Kratos muttered.

"Scarlett, Colette got wings!" Genis announced with a level beyond excitement.

"Whoa, what?! Really?"

Colette giggled and unfurled her wings. Scarlett felt as though her pink and purple wings matched her personality perfectly. She widened her eyes and breathed, "Wow...! That's amazing, Colette! They're beautiful."

"Hehe, thanks!"

"Well, then, shall we be on our way?" Raine gestured for them all to move on away from the entrance.

"Already?" Scarlett blinked with confusion. "Aren't you tired?"

"I would much prefer to go back to Triet before it gets completely dark." As she pointed out, the sun had begun to sink in the sky. "It'll be safer to spend the night where we don't need to have guard duties."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

They didn't make it farther than the stairs when Colette collapsed to the ground. Lloyd ran to her side. "Colette! Are you okay?!"

"I'm...fine," she replied very unconvincingly.

"You are certainly _not_ alright!" Genis cried. "It's all my fault. It's because I kept making her pull her wings in and out..."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it..."

Raine ran forward. "Now's not the time for that! Her lips are turning purple... We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately!"

"Wait," Kratos intervened coolly. "It's best not to move her. Remember the angel's words. The angel transformation process requires her to overcome a trial. Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be better to let her rest here."

"I'm sorry to cause so much trouble," Colette said as Lloyd helped her cautiously to her feet.

"You've got nothing to apologize for, you dork. You were suddenly changed into an angel!" Lloyd gave her a reassuring grin.

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry."

Lloyd sighed in response as the others began to pick out a suitable spot to set up camp.

**XxXxXxX**

The fire burned brightly as the group sat around it, eating food that Genis had made for them. Scarlett was lost in her own thoughts as Lloyd moved about the camp, talking with the others and making decisions on things. All of the information that Yuan had given her earlier still had her mind spinning in several different directions. Part of her wanted to help Yuan, especially since his words made sense. While Lord Yggdrasill had allowed her to live, he had also caused her more than enough pain to counteract that. Still, she knew that if she betrayed him and he found out, he wouldn't think twice about killing her…

"Hey, Scarlett?"

She snapped from her thoughts and looked up at Lloyd, who was standing before her. "Oh, sorry, Lloyd. What is it?"

"Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"No, go ahead." With a grin, she added, "Plenty of sand here to go around."

With an agreeing scoff, he muttered, "Tell me about it." As he sat down beside her, he held out his hand to her. "If you want, I can go ahead and finish your Key Crest now."

"That would be great. Thanks." Scarlett cautiously took it off, along with her Cruxis Crystal, and handed the crest to Lloyd.

She let him work in peace and quiet as he carved out the remaining charms for the crest. It wasn't long before he was finishing up and he asked, "Is…something wrong?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Like what?"

"Where I should, what I should do… Things like that."

"You could come with us," he pointed out.

"…No. It's tempting, but I really need to do my own thing for now. I'm sure my friend is worried by now since I haven't shown up." With some more thoughts, she said, "We'll probably split ways around Triet or a little ways after."

"I see…" Lloyd's eyes suddenly widened with remembrance. "Oh, yeah! The angel that we met in the ruins told us that the next seal is across the sea, so we'll be heading out to the Ossa Trail tomorrow after we pick up some more supplies."

"I see…" Scarlett rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, I'll figure out something by tomorrow."

"Alright." Lloyd gave one last look at the Key Crest before nodding and handing it back. "There. That should do it."

"Thanks, Lloyd!" Scarlett took it and set it back into her hand. With a sharp intake of breath, she felt warmth – real warmth! – rush throughout her body. She felt the cold desert air kissing her exposed skin. She felt a light rumble in her stomach of hunger even though she had just forced down some food so as not to look suspicious.

Lloyd tensed and a hand crept towards one of his swords. "Scarlett? You okay?"

"Y-…yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry… I guess I just hadn't realized how…worn down my Key Crest had been. I feel much better now. Thank you so much."

Lloyd relaxed and sighed with relief. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head with abashment. "Oh, well, it was nothing big. What are friends for, huh?"

This caught Scarlett off guard. "We're…friends?"

"Of course! You helped me out, you helped Colette, and you had our backs while we released the seal!"

Scarlett felt her face heat up slightly as she averted her eyes. This brought a smile to her face. "Thanks, Lloyd…"

He chuckled again as he stood to go and talk to Colette. Scarlett was so overwhelmed at the return of her senses that she didn't understand why Genis had suddenly sang something about Lloyd getting rejected. She still laughed when Lloyd cursed and chased his best friend around the fire before she saw that Colette was standing out by a small lake they had found not too far away from the ruins. When Raine called her back to the campsite, she also instructed the younger members of the party to get some rest. Scarlett also felt slightly fatigued, her body demanding rest for the first time in years. Kratos had volunteered to be the night watch, so under his watchful eye, Scarlett allowed hers to slide shut, luring her into sleep.

**XxXxXxX ****Vision**** XxXxXxX**

"**Faye, are you sure this is a good idea…?" Scarlett whimpered. "Lord Yggdrasill will be mad if we're not there for training on time…"**

"**It's okay!" her friend assured her with a warm smile. "Besides, you're turning thirteen today! I need to give you my present!"**

**Scarlett said nothing as she followed Faye into her room, where upon her bed sat a small box, laced closed with ribbon. "Open it!" **

**Beside herself, Scarlett smiled broadly as she tore into unwrapping the present and pulling the ribbon off. When she opened the box, her eyes widened slightly with joy. "Wow…! It's so pretty!" She pulled forth a charm that was in the shape of a long and graceful bird with flowing, long tail feathers. The creature had the most brilliant red feathers she had ever seen.**

"**It's a phoenix," Faye explained. "Kratos told me about them. He said there are two phoenixes left, like how there is one unicorn. When a phoenix gets old or injured, it catches fire and turns to ash. Then, before its ashes have time to cool off, a new baby phoenix is born! Isn't that cool?!"**

"**It is!" Scarlett lunged forward and hugged her best friend. "I love it! I'll treasure it forever! I'm going to put it in my room for luck!"**

"**Gre-!"**

"_**This**_** is where you were."**

**The girls froze to the spot, violent chills going down their spines. It took all they could muster to turn their heads and face Lord Yggdrasill, who was behind them, his eyes narrowed dangerously at them. At the same time, they both fell to their knees, sputtering apologies as quickly as they could.**

"**It's my fault!" Faye cried. "I wanted to give Scarlett her birthday present! I'm so sorry, Lord Yggdrasill! Don't punish her!"**

"**A birthday present?" Lord Yggdrasill echoed with curiosity. "Why would you do that? After all, after today, you're all going to have so many more birthdays. So many that a present every year will no longer be worth it."**

**Not understanding the true meaning behind his words, Faye stuttered, "I-I'm sorry! I just wanted-!"**

"**What, you thought you could just do as you pleased?! Who do you think **_**owns**_** you?!" He bellowed.**

"**No, please, I'm sorry, Lord Yggdrasill!"**

"**Oh, no, you're not…not yet…" Lord Yggdrasill lashed his hand out and grabbed Faye's lovely black hair and pulled her to her feet. Over her screams of pain, he added, "Oh, Scarlett, dear? Come here… I think you'll want to watch this."**

"_**Faye!"**_

"**Scarlett-!"**

**And so, Lord Yggdrasill pulled Faye by her hair down the halls of Derris-Kharlan, Scarlett following closely, practically running to keep up with him, and crying out her friend's name. Faye's tears rolled relentlessly down her cheeks as her hands clawed at her hair, trying to relieve the pain from her head. Lord Yggdrasill kicked open the door to the large, circular room where he trained the children. Yuan and Kratos were present inside, already speaking with Celeste and Sheldon. When they saw what was going down, anger flashed in Kratos' eyes. "Yggdrasill! What is going on?!"**

"**Just teaching them a lesson," he replied casually. He threw Faye into the center of the room where she lay still, crying, her head throbbing in intense pain. Before Scarlett had a chance to run to her, Lord Yggdrasill snapped, "Stay back."**

**Forced to remain there, Scarlett could only watch as Lord Yggdrasill walked to the small girl, his gaze never wavering. Kratos and Yuan could only remain still as well, knowing if they intervened, he would only harm the children more. He picked Faye up by her hair again to pull her to her knees, pulling forth her screams of agony again. Still, she didn't dare struggle. He moved the collar of her shirt away to reveal a Cruxis Crystal that was attached directly to the base of her neck. As his hand reached for it, Yuan called, "Yggdrasill, don't-!"**

**But he did. He pulled the crystal from the girl's body, and within seconds, a grotesque monster stood where she had been. Kratos trembled with rage as Scarlett fell to her knees, screaming, "No! What did you do to her?! Faye!"**

**As the monster sat there, seeming confused, Lord Yggdrasill turned and gave her a twisted smirk. "I'm showing you what happens when you disobey me." He held out a hand to what had once been Faye, drew a quick symbol, and a sword of light fell from the air and through the monster's body. As it made a sickening roar of pain, blood pouring from the wound, Celeste and Sheldon joined Scarlett in her screams of horror. The sword faded, and by time the monster's body hit the floor, it was Faye again, and she was dead. Lord Yggdrasill turned and tossed the Cruxis Crystal to Scarlett. "You see? All you inferior beings are…just monsters."**

**Scarlett's wide eyes shifted slowly, shakily, from Faye's still body, to the Cruxis Crystal sitting on the floor in front of her. **_"When a phoenix gets old or injured, it catches fire and turns to ash. Then, before its ashes have time to cool off, a new baby phoenix is born!"_

"**Hmm? Nothing to say, then?" Lord Yggdrasill drew another swift symbol with his hand. "Very well."**

"**Yggdrasill, stop this!" Kratos roared at him, his knuckles white on his sword hilt.**

**Scarlett took hold of Faye's Cruxis Crystal just as Explosion rained down upon her. Both Celeste and Sheldon fell to their hands and knees, tears running down their cheeks, sickening pits in their stomachs. However, Explosion faded quickly, blocked out by a blinding light. Lord Yggdrasill looked towards it with narrowed eyes. "What?!"**

**Scarlett still sat where she was, the Cruxis Crystal now attached to the back of her left hand. The light was emitting from her body as the flames of the attacks flew into her body. When every last spark was absorbed, from her back sprung forth red wings, the feathers flaming as though they were on fire. Scarlett fell to the floor, unconscious from the use of energy.**

_**Scarlett looked around her, but all she could see was darkness. "…Am I dead, too…?" she pondered aloud, her voice hoarse.**_

"_**Scarlett…," a voice breathed softly. It was not Faye's voice…it was a male voice, and it sounded tender and warm. "Det siste er et mysterium som holder ledetracder for a bygge en bedre fremtid."**_

_**She didn't know why, but Scarlett knew that he was speaking the ancient language of the elves. When she opened her mouth, she didn't know what words she was speaking. "Spor keg ydmykt for en tast."**_

_**Sounding concerned, the male said, "Denne tasten inneholder strom av liv of dod. Trenger du en ofre."**_

_**She narrowed her eyes with determination. "Jeg trenger strom for a beskytte de Jeg elsker…"**_

_**There was a pause before the voice replied, "Som du onsker. Herrens oine er ditt."**_

**XxXxXxX**

**Ah, Yggy, you are just a cruel man. A cruel, cruel man. Oh, and the conversation that Scarlett has with the mysterious voice (in her head?) in the end is actually in Norse, but I felt like using it for the ancient language of the elves, since Kosuke Fujishima is awesome and bases everything off of Norse mythology. Norway is where my people are! ...Literally.**

**So, I will give you a translation...soon. I may include it into the story.**

**Oooh, is Scarlett going to go join with Yuan now that she knows he is the Renegade leader?! Whether or not if she does, our adventure with Yuan and his Renegade begins next chapter! Look forward to it, because it was the most fun I've ever had writing something. x)**

**Time for a review party!**


	6. Allies

**Oh, boy! It's time for my favorite chapter! I can hardly even contain my excitement!**

**Thanks, as always, to **Marina Ka-Fai** and **Mapo99 **for your awesome reviews! I can personally guarantee that you'll both enjoy this chapter as much as me.**

**Disclaimer, ya ya ya, and let's go!**

**XxXxXxX**

_**Chapter Five_Allies**_

When Scarlett woke the next morning, she couldn't suppress her small whimper of fear as her eyes flew open. With a quick glance around, she saw that the others were still asleep. Kratos went to her side and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"S-sorry… I just…didn't get much rest." She sat up and gave Kratos a look of confusion. "Why was my Key Crest not working? All these years, and I could still be a human, but…the crest that Lord Yggdrasill gave me…"

"I honestly don't know."

"All this time…have you not been able to feel things? Yuan, too?"

He shook his head somberly. "No, we have been able too. We have been angels for so long, however, that we can choose to ignore our basic needs for extended periods of time."

"Then why didn't you realize my crest was worn down?" For the first time in years, Scarlett felt like she could cry from frustration and betrayal. Surely Kratos and Yuan had known that her crest wasn't in good condition…but why didn't they say anything?!

Kratos shushed her and looked back towards the still sleeping group. Lloyd, though snoring loudly, fell silent for a moment before mumbling in his sleep and rolling over onto his side. When Kratos was sure that no one had woken, he said, "Think about it, Scarlett. Obviously Yggdrasill had an ulterior motive for putting those crests on you and the others. If we had done anything to interfere, you know what would have happened."

"**I'm showing you what happens when you disobey me."**

She hung her head and lowered her voice to a whisper. "You're right… I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. Now…would you rather leave before everyone wakes up or do you want to wait?"

Scarlett averted her gaze for a moment. She reached into her small bag and pulled forth her journal, Kratos waiting patiently. She flipped it open and wrote: _Thirteenth birthday._ Closing it, she took a deep breath. She knew what she had to do. She knew why she had been reminded of that horrid day. Looking back at Kratos, she replied, "…I'll leave now. Tell them something for me?"

He gave a single nod.

She threw her journal back into her bag and tossed it onto her back. She picked up Koikage and gave Kratos a nod of her own and a weak smile. With a quick thought, she wondered if Kratos knew that Yuan was the leader of the Renegades. Just in case he didn't, she said, "…Don't worry, Kratos. I won't betray you."

He gave a small, knowing smirk of his own. "…I know."

She summoned forth her wings and took to the air with a quick glance behind her. She set off for her destination, knowing it wouldn't take her long to get there.

**XxXxXxX**

"…Well, would you look at that?" Yuan muttered as he looked at the screen. "Klement, go let her in, will you? I'll be in my room."

"Sure thing!" A handsome half-elf man of about twenty-six years left the control room and headed for the front door of the Triet Renegade Base. He had spiked teal hair, yet two strands refused to stand up right, so they remained hanging in his face. His baby blue eyes sparkled with excitement at what he knew was going to be happening soon. With these two new recruits they were supposed to be getting, things were going to be getting lively around the base.

When he came to the front door, he kept a hand on his sword as he unlocked it and swung it open. Scarlett tensed as she set eyes upon the half-elf, but when he gave her a large grin, she couldn't help but relax. "Umm…I'm here to see-"

"Lord Yuan, correct? Yes, come right on in! He's expecting you. Well, don't stand there looking stunned…c'mon, c'mon." Klement ushered her inside and closed the door behind them. As he turned back to her, he extended a hand. "I'm Klement, by the way. Good to have you on board."

Scarlett shook his hand after a moment of hesitation. "…Hi. I'm Scarlett." She couldn't help but think that this man hadn't been like anyone else she had met before, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

He scratched the small soul patch on his chin as he began to lead the way to Yuan. "Well, let's see… There's me, Phelan, Greg, Mitali, Nasira…now you and the other girl that's supposed to be coming…" Deciding something about all of his mumbling was good, he clapped his hands together and gave a short laugh. "Yes, it's all perfect now!"

Just as Scarlett was about to inquire as to what he was talking to himself about – out loud, no less -, she heard a young female voice shriek with rage. "Dang it, Phelan! That is the _last_ time that you try and put dye in my shampoo!"

An older male voice responded to her with a laughing, carefree tone. "Oh, come now, Nasira dear! There's _no way_ you could prove it was me-!"

"You left a note with your name in it! Plunge this sinner with your holy light… Prism Sword!"

"Hey, foul play!" That statement was abruptly followed by a cry of pain.

"…Is it usually…this…" Scarlett trailed off, not sure of what word to use to describe what she had just heard.

"Amusing? Hardly. It's usually more people running around trying to get revenge on Phelan than just Nasira. Ah-ha, here we are." Even though Klement's words just left Scarlett more confused, he had brought her to the door that Yuan was waiting behind. Klement gave two short knocks, and when a voice answered, he opened it and held it open for Scarlett to pass through.

When she did, she saw Yuan leaning against his desk, obviously having been waiting on her. "Thank you, Klement. Now, if you wouldn't mind, go and tell Phelan and Nasira to give it a rest."

As Klement shut the door, he exclaimed, "Oh…but what else am I going to do for entertainment?!"

Yuan sighed and shook his head briefly before turning his attention to Scarlett, who seemed thoroughly bewildered. He cracked a small grin before saying, "What? Did you think that everyone stayed disguised as Desians all the time? Or that it was a gloomy place where no one spoke to each other?"

Scarlett made her way closer to Yuan while she glanced about the room. "I'm not sure what I had thought it was like here, but…I guess I can say I wasn't expecting this."

Yuan replied more somberly, "Yes, well, everyone fighting here all have stories of their own. They're fighting for their own reasons, though united towards a common cause. They're all actually quite a lively bunch…as you just saw."

This made her smile. While she had no idea what the two people had been fighting about, especially so early in the morning, it was still a bit of a relief to her. Perhaps she really _had_ thought of the Renegades as being a serious organization, since they were dedicated to interfering with Cruxis' plans, including the Chosen. That thought made her smile vanish quickly.

Catching this, Yuan stood up and made his way around his desk to sit in his chair. "I'm sure you have questions."

"The Renegades kill the Chosen, don't they? Does that mean that…you'll be going after Colette?" While she had only been with them for a short two days, she knew that Colette was a kind girl with a pure heart. She deserved neither the fate of the Chosen nor being targeted and killed by the Renegades.

"Not to kill her. If we still decide to target her instead of someone else, it will only be to keep her out of the hands of Cruxis. For the time being, we will have to leave her alone. Kratos will do everything in his power to protect her."

"Does Kratos know about you?"

"He does. I have offered to him several times to leave Yggdrasill and come help me, but he is too torn up by his recent past to know what is right and wrong anymore." He leaned back in his chair. "Something that has just occurred might begin to change his mind, but I won't say anything on that. It's his business."

"What did you mean about targeting someone else instead of Colette?"

"…That doesn't matter right now."

"Yuan…" Scarlett crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him. "If you expect my help, I can't be in the dark."

"I know. This is just not relevant right now. You'll see when the time comes."

She heaved a sigh of irritation from not receiving an answer she would have liked to hear. "So you're a double agent… Does this mean I'm going to be a triple agent?"

Yuan chuckled from the sarcastic tone she carried in her question. "It seems that way, if you're going to be helping me. Yggdrasill believes you are just waiting down here for an opportune moment to rejoin the Chosen's group; the Chosen's group believes that you are an ally to them…and you are now a Renegade."

She shook her head with a dry laugh. Moving closer to Yuan, she sat upon the right side of his desk. "So what are you going to have me be doing?"

"I was wondering when you would ask that. You'll be with my recon team. Klement is one of them."

"Reconnaissance?"

"Well, think about it… Any time you see a Renegade in public, they look like Desians, right? My recon team remains in whatever casual clothes they want and go into town, investigate Desian and Cruxis movements, and do what they can to help the common people, especially half-elves. They occasionally do recruiting for us." He sat forward, now propping his forearms on his knees. "What do you think?"

She took a deep breath as her mind considered all possibilities. "…All I have to do is get better at lying and keep it a secret from Lor-…from Yggdrasill, right?" Jumping off the desk, she grinned and faced him. "Sounds like a challenge I'm up for. Bring it on."

"You always were a stubborn one," he commented with a throaty chuckle. Yuan stood and gestured for her to follow him. "Well, I can tell you now that Botta is my second in command…but he's out on a mission right now, so you'll meet him later. As for the rest of my recon team…well, I'll let Klement take you to get introduced. It's okay for you to tell them about your visions. They need to know what to do if you just randomly pass out." When he opened the door, Scarlett saw that Klement was indeed still standing out in the hallway, waiting patiently. Yuan's eyes briefly passed over the refurbished Key Crest on Scarlett's hand. "…I'm glad you're with us, Scarlett. Priya will be along in a few days."

"Priya! That was her name! …Er…sorry…" Klement laughed sheepishly. "Well, then, Lady Scarlett, if you would be so kind as to follow me. I'll take you to the others."

"Okay." Scarlett gave him a friendly smile and followed after him once Yuan gave her a nod.

As Klement led her through the halls, he continued to talk to her, not seemingly caring if she was really listening or not. "So, yeah, as I said, I'm Klement. I've been with Lord Yuan since about eight years ago – I started pretty early. Let me think…I guess I can tell you about the gang. We have Phelan, he fights with a bow, and fair warning: no one but Lord Yuan is spared from pranks he pulls. We got Gregory, but some of us just call him Greg. He's pretty young…nineteen, I think. He's kind of uptight, so if he acts hostile towards you, don't worry about it. He won't really slice you. Then, there's Mitali – you'll like her. She's probably one of the friendliest girls on base here, and she's close to your age I would say. She's mean with a spear if you make her mad, though…which brings me to her little sister, Nasira. She's the youngest we have here on base, but her magic is something else, it really is. She's a talented kid, but she's got a little bit of a temper, too. All half-elves, by the way. So tell me about yourself."

Scarlett gaped at him for a split second. _Did he even take a breath in all of that? _"Well…as you see, I fight with a scythe…but I can do magic, too."

"Before or after you were turned into an angel? Sorry." He gave her an apologetic glance. "Lord Yuan gave me some of your background ahead of time so I could know what I was dealing with. Please, continue."

"I could do some before. Yuan said I could be a quarter elf, but I don't know who my parents were. I've been on my own for as long as I can remember." She paused, thinking of what else she could tell him. "As you know, I'm an angel, so I guess my senses might be of use in reconnaissance…"

Klement fell back a little so that he could give her a nudge with a wink. "And your sense of humor? Ah, haha. Just kidding. But seriously, you'll need one to tolerate all of us."

"I don't mean to ask such a…well, depressing question, but… How do you manage to stay so…perky?"

Klement's steps didn't falter as he gave her a warm smile. "I have a wife and baby girl. I need to be strong for them. Besides, why should we be so down in the dumps all the time? If we were like that, then Cruxis would be more likely to overpower us. Despite appearances, we're all a group of annoying optimists!"

"I guess that's one way to put it…"

Finally, Klement stopped in front of yet another door, where chatter was heard from within. He turned to Scarlett and said, "Ready or not," as he pushed the button to open it, "meet the gang!"

"How many times must I tell you, Klement?! We are a _posse, _not a gang!" A half-elf man stood, a few scratches on his face of twenty-seven years. A few strands of his light blonde hair were out of place, but it didn't distract from the fact that his bangs swept over his right eye, which was a lovely jade green. He approached Scarlett, took her hand, and placed a gentle kiss upon it as he gave her a bow. "I am Phelan, my lady, at your service." His hair fell delicately to the level of his chin, cut nearly across.

A young girl of seventeen gave a wave as she continued eating her breakfast of toast, biscuits, and sausage. Her hair was a dark maroon, her bangs hanging just above her eyebrows. The rest of it was pulled up into two high pigtails on the top of her head, to which it fell to her upper arms. Her turquoise eyes shone brilliantly in the light. "Hi. I'm Nasira."

"Goodness, no need to be so friendly, Nasira. I'm sorry. I'm Mitali, her older sister," the older half-elf woman sitting near her said. Her hair was a lovely shade of purple, flipped over her left eye, and falling to the level of her shoulders. Her eyes were exactly the same as her younger sister's, but her smile was much kinder. Her gaze fell to the last person in the room who hadn't introduced himself yet. "Gregory, be nice. Come say hello. Whether you like it or not, she's one of us now."

The youngest of the men was giving Scarlett a cold, icy glare from across the room. His hair was midnight black, and his eyes were a lovely shade of brown, though they were cold with loathing. His right hand rested tightly on his long sword that was attached to his hip. He stood quickly, though he was a few inches shorter than Scarlett. He pushed forcefully by her and growled, "I don't see why Lord Yuan trusts a _human_," as he left the room.

"She's technically an angel, not a human!" Klement called after him, throwing his hands in the air. "Ah, well, that's Greg for you. Don't worry. He'll warm up to you."

"Eventually," Phelan added. "But don't worry about that killjoy! Come in." He guided her to a seat near Mitali and Nasira and sat beside her. "Do you mind if we ask you some questions?"

"Not really…I suppose." Scarlett wasn't entirely sure what to think on Phelan, either, especially with that kiss he had given her. She averted his gaze slightly.

"How long have you known Lord Yuan? That knowledge might also help us to convince Greg to be in the same room as you," Phelan drawled.

"He found me and some of my friends in the Iselia forest when I was six. I'm twenty-one now. All the rest of that time, I've been in Derris-Kharlan or Welgaia."

"I see… Will Yggy be expecting you back up there any time soon?"

Scarlett's eyes widened with disbelief. "Y…Yggy?!"

"Well, it's not like he deserves our respect!" Nasira interjected. "That only impressive thing he did was split the world apart, and that wasn't even his own power. That was the power of a Summon Spirit."

"True enough." Klement nodded his head once, crossing his arms.

"Is there anything important about you we should know?" Mitali inquired kindly.

Scarlett recalled Yuan's words. "Yes, actually. I'm not really sure how to say this, though… Umm…I have a vision every day."

"…A vision?" Nasira echoed skeptically.

"Yes. I see things that have occurred in the past, most of the time. There are times where I see the future, too. I have no idea how to control it. I'm telling you this, though, because it can happen at any time. When it does, I pass out." She looked at her feet uncomfortably. She had never told anyone before except for Kratos and Yuan when she first received it.

"…How did you get this power?" Klement asked, rather calmly.

"I don't want to talk about it," she replied quickly.

"Fair enough. That's okay. How often does it happen?"

"Just once a day. But not necessarily at the same time."

"Yep, this'll be fun!" Phelan cheered, as if to lighten the mood again in the room.

"You don't think…that I'm strange? Or something…" Scarlett slowly looked at them all in the room.

Mitali answered for them, "Not really. If you said you didn't want to talk about it, that means that you haven't had it since you were born, but rather, that it was given to you by something. My first guess would be a Summon Spirit, but I won't pry. You're no stranger than the rest of us. Particularly Phelan."

"…I resent that statement," the blonde man muttered, crossing his arms and pouting like a child.

"Well, one way or another, it's wonderful to have you with us, Lady Scarlett." Mitali clasped her hands around Scarlett's and smiled at her.

"If we're going to be on the team together, you don't have to call me "Lady"," she pointed out as she returned Mitali's smile.

"But you're a close friend of Lord Yuan! We call Lord Botta, Lord Botta. Don't worry about it!" Klement beamed obliviously.

"That wasn't quite what I meant…but whatever. I guess call me what you want." Scarlett looked around the room at the others. "Thanks. I hope I'll be able to help you all to the best of my abilities."

"…She's so formal," Nasira murmured.

"We'll fix that, don't worry." Phelan patted her head, to which she responded by jumping up, reaching for her staff.

"What did I tell you?! After you tried putting dye in my shampoo, you are _not_ to touch me!" A circle of light engulfed her, signaling the beginning of a spell. "Bury my foe…Grave!"

"Not again, Nasira! Guardian!"

"Oh, dear." Mitali shook her head. "Lord Yuan is going to get upset with us again."

**XxXxXxX**

Several days passed since Scarlett had gone to the Renegades, most of which she spent either with Yuan or with Mitali. She had grown closest to Mitali, what with her open and welcoming personality. It reminded Scarlett of Colette, but with a dark side. She had seen Mitali grow angry when Phelan was caught setting up a bucket of water above her door, and as Klement had warned Scarlet…Mitali was deadly with her spear.

She shared a few conversations with Klement and Phelan. She thought both seemed to like her well enough, but they were often preoccupied with talking about upcoming missions, and while they invited her to listen it, she would just say that she would leave it to them. Phelan would grumble and mutter, "Man, here I thought I was going to get out of it."

Any time she saw Nasira, she wasn't far from Mitali. When she was with her big sister, she was laughing and smiling, but once she saw Scarlett, it would fade slightly. It made Scarlett feel like she was wary of her presence, like Gregory, but not as extreme. Still, in the past day, she would sit in the room with Scarlett and Mitali, but make no attempt at conversation.

Gregory was another story. Yuan told Scarlett that he would speak to him, but it would be his own obstacle to overcome. He said Gregory's story was not pretty, but offered to share no details. She had seen him perhaps four times in passing when she walked through the base, and every time, he would glower at her. With a dry laugh, she thought, _At least he acknowledges me._

On the fourth day, their last team member walked through the door with a tall half-elf man. Scarlett spotted her instantly and ran to her with a grin of relief. "Priya! You're here!"

"Scarlett?! _You're_ here?!" the half-elf girl returned. She had wavy black hair held up in a ponytail, though a few strands hung loosely in her sky blue eyes. Attached to her hips were her two whips, one black and one grey. Scarlett figured that now Priya was here, there would be rivalry with Nasira over the stronger magic user.

"Yeah, I've been here for a few days. Hey, you're bleeding. Are you okay?" Scarlett pointed at Priya's forearm, where a small gash was bleeding rather profusely.

The half-elf man beside her nodded in agreement. "We should get that looked out."

"No, it's fine, Botta. Watch." Priya pulled off her grey whip and cracked it against the floor three times. "First Aid."

As the wound sealed itself up, Scarlett glanced at the man she had called Botta. This man was Yuan's second-in-command. Even just standing there, he did seem to command a certain authority. His gaze shifted to Scarlett. "So you're Scarlett, correct? I am Botta. Do you know where Yuan is at?"

"He's up at Cruxis right now."

"Okay, thank you. Then, Priya, I will take you to the others to meet with them…"

"No, that's okay. I'm sure you've got other things you need to take care of." Priya waved it off nonchalantly as she put her whip back. "Scarlett can take me."

Scarlett raised an eyebrow and gave the half-elf girl a playful glare. "She's right. I can take her to them."

"Are you sure? Well, thank you. Until later, then." Botta took his leave with a grateful nod.

Once Scarlett gestured for Priya to follow, she asked, "So how did you "disappear"?"

"Let's just say it involved a good pummeling and leave it at that." Priya rubbed the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "It was thoroughly exhausting." She turned her gaze to Scarlett and demanded, "Why are you here? I thought you were supposed to be with the Chosen's group."

"It's…a little complicated. Let's just say I'm having an internal war right now."

Priya narrowed her eyes at Scarlett's mockery of her own vague details, but said no more as she followed her to meet the gang/posse. When they arrived at the door, Scarlett gave a small grin of her own as she opened it, saying, "Meet everyone."

"That was a lackluster introduction, Scarlett!" Phelan cried indignantly. "I must insist you leave and come back in!"

"Hush, now, Phelan. Don't be so silly." Mitali shot him a light, playful glare.

"Yes, Mommy."

"Don't call her that," Nasira snapped. "I don't even want to imagine ever being related to you."

Klement gave a wave with a smirk and called, "Heyyy, Priya's here! The gang is all here!"

"The _posse_!" Phelan insisted.

Gregory muttered, "You're both idiots," from his corner of the room.

Priya's eyes narrowed with disbelief as she looked at Scarlett. "Are they...always-?"

"Always."

Priya looked back at them with a wicked grin of her own as she pumped a fist. "This is going to be _epic_."

**XxXxXxX**

**Ah, Priya...I agree with you completely! Epic is as epic does. This will be epic, indeed. Well, everyone, there it is! Scarlett is now with the Renegades, playing all sides (poor girl), and has a new gang/posse! Don't worry if you couldn't keep everyone completely separate - there will be many adventures with them so that you can learn to love them all! Including Priya. Priya is actually a character I created for my sister, Lumos Fabula, for her to use in her new, rewritten version of Order of the Elements. When she gets around to publishing, I recommend checking it out. It's pretty sweet.**

**Well, as usual, feel free to leave a review at the bottom! We like review parties, yes we do, precious. See you all next time!**


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